Disapproves the U.S. Sentencing Commission's amendments to the Sentencing Guidelines relating to: (1) equalization of crack and cocaine powder quantities for trafficking and possession offenses; and (2) money laundering and transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
(Sec. 2) Directs the Sentencing Commission to submit to the Congress recommendations regarding changes to the statutes and Sentencing Guidelines governing sentences for unlawful manufacturing, importing, exporting, and trafficking of cocaine and like offenses. Requires the recommendations to reflect the following considerations: (1) the sentence for trafficking in crack cocaine should generally exceed that imposed for trafficking in a like quantity of powder cocaine; (2) high-level cocaine traffickers should generally receive longer sentences than low-level traffickers; (3) a defendant who knowingly traffics in powder cocaine that will be converted into crack cocaine prior to its distribution to individuals should be treated at sentencing as though the defendant had trafficked in crack cocaine; and (4) an enhanced sentence should generally be imposed on a defendant who, in the course of an offense, murders or causes serious bodily injury to an individual, uses a dangerous weapon or possesses a firearm, involves a juvenile, a pregnant woman, or an unusually vulnerable person, engages in a continuing criminal enterprise or commits other criminal offenses in order to facilitate drug trafficking activities, restrains a victim, traffics in cocaine within 500 feet of a school, obstructs justice, has a significant prior criminal record, or is an organizer or leader of drug trafficking activities involving five or more persons.
Specifies that such recommendations shall propose revision of the drug quantity ratio of crack cocaine to powder cocaine under the relevant statutes and guidelines in a manner consistent with the ratios set for other drugs.
Requires: (1) the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on the charging and plea practices of Federal prosecutors with respect to money laundering; and (2) the Sentencing Commission to submit to such committees comments on the DOJ report.
For Previous Action See H.R.2259.
For Further Action See H.R.2259.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 141.
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 237 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2259 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit. Measure will be read by section. A specified amendment is in order. An amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of S. 1254, as passed by the Senate, shall be considered as adopted in the Committee of the Whole and in the House. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of further amendment. No further amendment shall be in order except the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, debatable for 1 hour and not subject to amendment. After passage of the bill, it shall be in order to take from the Sp eaker's table and consider the bill S. 1254. It shall be in order to move to strike all afte...
Rule H. Res. 237 passed House.
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 237. (consideration: CR H10263-10283)
Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2259 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit. Measure will be read by section. A specified amendment is in order. An amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of S. 1254, as passed by the Senate, shall be considered as adopted in the Committee of the Whole and in the House. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of further amendment. No further amendment shall be in order except the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, debatable for 1 hour and not subject to amendment. After passage of the bill, it shall be in order to take from the Sp eaker's table and consider the bill S. 1254. It shall be in order to move to strike all afte...
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House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 237 and Rule XXIII.
The Speaker designated the Honorable Doug Bereuter to act as Chairman of the Committee.
GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 237, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of debate on the Conyers amendment.
The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 2259.
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
The House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
Mr. Watt (NC) moved to recommit with instructions to Judiciary.
DEBATE - The House proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the Watt (NC) motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on the Judiciary with instructions that the Committee report the bill back to the House forthwith with an amendment requiring the U.S. Sentencing Commission to report back to the Congress by March 1, 1996 new sentencing guidelines with respect to crack cocaine and money laundering.
The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 149 - 266 (Roll no. 724). (consideration: CR H10283)
Roll Call #724 (House)Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 332 - 83 (Roll no. 725).
Roll Call #725 (House)On passage Passed by recorded vote: 332 - 83 (Roll no. 725).
Roll Call #725 (House)Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Laid on the table. See S. 1254 for further action. (consideration: CR H10284)