Madison NORML

Broun is also a freshman, and was recently elected to fill the seat of the late Charlie Norwood, who passed away. Kudos to Broun, a doctor who takes his oath to “do no harm” very seriously.

Not your father’s Republican: Broun casts his vote against prosecuting users of medical marijuana click here

Friday, July 27, 2007, 08:14 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Washington — In one of his first votes as a congressman, Athens physician Paul Broun has given fulsome indication that he doesn’t intend to run with the Republican herd.

As midnight approached on Wednesday, hours after he was sworn in, Broun declared himself in favor of a measure sponsored by U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) to bar the U.S. Department of Justice from prosecuting those who use medical marijuana for medicinal purposes.

In doing so, Broun bucked his House Republican leadership and split with all six of Georgia’s other Republican congressmen.

“To me, it was a state’s rights vote, and a constitutional powers issue,” Broun said early this morning.

Democrat John Barrow also opposed the measure. Democrat Jim Marshall did not vote. Democrats John Lewis, Hank Johnson, Sanford Bishop, and David Scott voted yes.

Here’s the roll call. click here

You’ll note that 14 other Republicans voted ‘yes’ with Broun, including Ron Paul of Texas and Tom Tancredo of Colorado.

The measure, which failed 165 to 262, is an annual rite and attracted little notice until late Thursday. Broun didn’t mention it in an interview that morning, later explaining it came during a rushed series of two-minute votes.

In a statement issued near midnight, Broun emphasized he was serious when he called for limits on federal government. Some states have authorized the use of medicinal marijuana.

He said in a prepared release:

“As I promised on the campaign trail, I would make the Constitution my primary guide on how I voted on all matters. Roll Call vote 733 was a constitutional issue pertaining to ‘restraining’ the federal government from interfering with the right of states to establish public policy on matters not specifically addressed by the Constitution.”