Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican presidential candidate Vivek’s proposal calls for a radical restructuring of federal government workforce. This includes eliminating agencies such as the FBI. He wants to expand and keep the Drug Enforcement Administration, despite criticizing the broader drug war.
The 38-year-old presidential hopeful–who has voiced support for legalizing marijuana and decriminalizing certain psychedelics–detailed his plan to fire about 75 percent of federal workers and shutter key agencies during a recent domestic policy speech.
Legal experts have questioned the notion that a president has such a unilateral power. For those who have followed Ramaswamy’s campaign, the fact that DEA will be spared in his plan raises additional questions.
A white paper on domestic policy, , reported by The New York Times earlier, , discusses “shutting the FBI down and relocating 15,000 special agents that solve cases to the U.S. Marshals, Drug Enforcement Agency (sic), and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network at the Department of Treasury.”
Ramaswamy stated that the DEA needs to be given more resources to “take on the drug enforcement issues that we face in this country.” However, if federal prohibitions of marijuana and psychedelics are not lifted first, it could lead to increased enforcement of laws that Ramaswamy wants to amend.
The candidate previously stated that he was “not a person who believes in the war on drugs.” This seems to be at odds with the idea of giving more resources to the federal agency responsible for perpetuating this war. Ramaswamy, who has advocated for border policies that prevent illicit opioid trafficking, has made a distinction between fentanyl and other drugs.
During an interview on “Club Random with Bill Maher” last month, Ramaswamy previewed his plan to slash the federal workforce–especially FBI–and build up DEA, which he described as “far more effective on the frontlines of the fentanyl epidemic.” The proposal drew a skeptical reaction from Maher, who has also long decried the failures of the drug war.
Why not get rid that agency? Maher replied, “The DEA.”
Ramaswamy responded, “We have laws here in the country.” You can debate the laws you want, but as long as they are in place, I say, it’s not about whether or not you like them. “My point is that the FBI is ineffective.”
The candidate said that the state-federal debate on marijuana is “a farce”, which allows governments to target people unfairly.
Ramaswamy is an entrepreneur who has worked in the pharmaceutical industry. He walks a thin line when it comes to drug policy. He slammed Fox News last month over a story which characterized him as being supportive of decriminalizing “hard drugs.”
NCAA panel Formally recommends removing marijuana from the banned substances list for college athletes
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