2019: Schweikert Voted Against The FY 2020 Minibus Appropriations Bill, Which Facilitated The Interstate Transportation of Hemp. In December 2019, Schweikert voted against the FY 2020 minibus spending bill, which represented 8 of the 12 appropriations bills. According to Politico, "Appropriators included a provision that would bar the use of federal funds to prohibit interstate transportation of hemp or interfere with processing, sales or use of legally grown hemp. Producers and shippers have faced legal snags trying to move the plant across state lines, thanks to a messy patchwork of state laws. The new language effectively backs up USDA's May guidance on the topic." The vote was a motion to concur in the Senate amendment. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 297-120. The Senate later passed the bill and the President signed the bill into law. [House Vote 689, 12/17/19; Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.1865]
2018: Schweikert Voted Against The Final 2018 Conference Report Farm Bill Which Reauthorized Farm Programs And Food Stamps And Allow Industrial Hemp To Be Grown In The United States. In December 2018, Schweikert voted against the 2018 farm bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Adoption of the conference report on the bill that would reauthorize and extend federal farm and nutrition programs through fiscal 2023, including crop subsidies, conservation, rural development and agricultural trade programs and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. It would reauthorize and extend supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs, sugar policies and loan rates, several international food aid programs, nonrecourse marketing assistance loans for loan commodities, and several dairy programs, including the dairy risk management program (previously the margin protection program). It would create new pilot programs that would test strategies for improving the accuracy of the SNAP income verification process. It would allow industrial hemp to be grown in the United States, subject to close regulation at the state level. It would modify the activities permitted on land contracted under the conservation reserve program." The vote was on the conference report. The House passed the legislation by a vote of 369 to 47. The Senate had earlier passed the bill and was later signed into law by the president. [House Vote 434, 12/12/18; Congressional Quarterly, 12/12/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2]
2015: Schweikert Voted For An Amendment That Would Have Prevented The DOJ From Using Funds To Prevent A State From Implementing Certain Laws On Industrial Hemp. In June 2015, Schweikert voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "bar[red] Justice Department funds made available by the bill from being used to prevent a state from implementing its own state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession or cultivation of industrial hemp." The underlying bill was the FY 16 Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 282 to 146. The House later passed the underlying bill, but died in the Senate after an attempt at becoming a vehicle for a different appropriations bill [House Vote 280, 6/3/15; Congressional Quarterly, 6/3/15; Congress.gov, H. Amdt. 321; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 321; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2578]
2014: Schweikert Voted For An Amendment That Would Have Prevented The DOJ From Using Funds To Prevent A State From Implementing Certain Laws On Industrial Hemp. In May 2014, Schweikert voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "bar[red the use of funds in the bill for the Justice Department to prevent a state from implementing laws to authorize the use, distribution, possession or cultivation of industrial hemp." The underlying bill was the FY 15 Commerce, Justice and science appropriations bill. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 237 to 170. The House passed the underlying bill, but the Senate took no substantive action on it. [House Vote 257, 5/30/14; Congressional Quarterly, 5/30/14; Congress.gov, H. Amdt. 321; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 745; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4660]
2015: Schweikert Voted To Block The DOJ Or The DEA From Using Funds To Block Legally Allowed Entities To Grow Industrial Hemp. In June 2015, Schweikert voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "bar[red] funds made available by the bill from being used by the Justice Department or the Drug Enforcement Administration in contravention of a section of existing law that allows higher education institutions or state departments of agriculture to grow industrial hemp for research purposes and if growing the industrial hemp is allowed by the laws of the state where the research occurs and the institution is located." The underlying legislation was the FY 16 Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill. The vote was on the amendment. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 289 to 132. The House later passed the underlying legislation, but it died in the Senate after an attempt at becoming a vehicle for a different appropriations bill [House Vote 288, 6/3/15; Congressional Quarterly, 6/3/15; Congress.gov, H.Amdt. 340; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 340; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2578]
2014: Schweikert Voted To Allow Universities To Grow Industrial Hemp, In States Where It Is Legally Permissible, For Academic Research In States. In May 2014, Schweikert voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "bar[red] the Justice Department or the Drug Enforcement Agency from using funds provided by the bill to contravene the 2014 Agricultural Act by prohibiting industrial hemp to be grown or cultivated for research purposes." The underlying legislation was an FY 2015 Commerce, Justice and science appropriations bill. The vote was on the amendment. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 246 to 262. The House later passed the underlying bill, which the Senate took no substantive action. However, a continuing resolution that did became law, included the policy. [House Vote 260, 4/30/14; Congressional Quarterly, 5/30/14; Congressional Record, 5/29/14; Public Law, 113-235; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 754; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4660]
2013: Schweikert Voted To Allow Universities To Grow Industrial Hemp, In States Where It Is Legally Permissible, For Academic Research In States. In June 2013, Schweikert voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "allow[ed] institutions of higher education in states with laws that permit industrial hemp cultivation to grow or cultivate it for agricultural or academic research." The underlying legislation was a farm bill. The vote was on the amendment. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 225 to 200. The House later rejected the underlying bill. A different farm bill that included the policy did become law. [House Vote 269, 6/20/13; Congressional Quarterly, 6/20/13; Congress.gov, H.R. 2642; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 208; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1947]