Constitution

Fifty years ago, the United States Supreme Court decided, in a landmark unanimous ruling, that under the due process clause of the 14^th Amendment state courts are required to provide an attorney for defendants in criminal cases who are unable to afford legal counsel. This requirement already existed under the 6^th Amendment at the federal level, but was groundbreaking for extending the right to counsel to individuals at the state level. Following his participation in a ceremony hosted by Attorney General Eric Holder at the Department of Justice commemorating the 50^th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, Congressman John Conyers, Jr.

This afternoon, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) participated in a bipartisan Gun Trafficking Forum put on by Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Congressman Scott Rigell (R-Va.), and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.). Following the forum, Rep. Conyers issued the following statement:

"Today, I stand with my colleagues at a bipartisan forum on gun trafficking in support of the 'Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013.'

Today, former Chairmen of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.) and Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) responded to oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Shelby County v. Holder. The bipartisan group of members filed a brief as amici curiae on February 1, 2013 to affirm what the Supreme Court has declared for over 50 years: Congress can enforce Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act under Congress's 15^th Amendment Powers. Specifically, Section 5 halts discrimination at the outset of any voting change made in a state.

Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), along with other members of the House Democratic Caucus, participated in a Democratic Issues Conference in Leesburg, Virginia which included addresses by President Obama and Vice President Biden. At this conference, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, created by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and chaired by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), released a gun safety plan entitled, "It's Time To Act: A Comprehensive Plan That Reduces Gun Violence and Respects the 2^nd Amendment Rights of Law-Abiding Americans." Following the release of this plan, Rep. Conyers issued the following statement:

Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) participated in two events highlighting the need for Congress to take action against gun violence. In the morning, Congressman Conyers attended an event at the White House, hosted by President Barak Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, at which the President set forth a package of recommendations on gun violence reduction.

Last Wednesday August 15^th, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted issued a directive requiring specific rules and operating hours for county boards of elections. Specifically, the directive eliminated early voting on weekends, and barred all boards of elections from being open on Columbus Day. The directive further raised questions about postage being paid for on absentee ballot envelopes. Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio) released this statement in response:

Yesterday, the Subcommittee on the Constitution held a hearing on "H.J. Res. 110, an Amendment to the Constitution Concerning Parental Rights and Education." In numerous cases, the Supreme Court has long recognized the relationship between parent and child as a fundamental right. H.J. Res. 110 would not provide any additional protections or recognition not already afforded to this important bond by the Supreme Court. Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released this statement in response to the hearing.

Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) joined Representative John Lewis (D-Ga.), House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), Democratic Assistant Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.), and House Committee on Administration Ranking Member Robert Brady (D-Pa.), in introducing the Voter Empowerment Act. Over the past year, states across the country have enacted restrictive voting laws that make it harder for millions of eligible voters to register or vote.

Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released the following statement in advance of the second anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, which falls on tomorrow January 21. The Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case wiped out a century of legal precedent, granting corporations the same free speech rights as individuals and allowing for unlimited spending by corporations and special interests on political campaigns.

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1021, the "Temporary Bankruptcy Judgeships Extension Act of 2011." The bill extends by 5 years the authorizations for 30 temporary bankruptcy judgeships in 20 judicial districts around the country. Included in the bill is an amendment authored by Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) which provided for the extension of many additional temporary judgeships across the country, including one in the Eastern District of Michigan.

Today, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on "Constitutional Limitations on States' Authority to Collect Sales Taxes." In the 1992 Quill Decision, the Supreme Court struck down a North Dakota law that required an out-of-state business to remit sales taxes on in-state customers because the business in question did not have a substantial enough presence in the state. However in the opinion, the Justices specifically stated that Congress is in a better position to resolve the issue and possessed the Constitutional authority to do so.

Today, the House of Representatives rejected H.J. Res. 2, a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, when the measure failed to garner the two-thirds majority vote necessary for adoption. The amendment did not include any explicit guarantees to protect Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security; would have required federal government outlays not to exceed receipts; and would have required a two-thirds super majority to raise the debt ceiling. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) made the following statement in response to the House's action:

Today, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) opposed the passage of H.R. 822, the "National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011." The bill overrides the laws of almost every state by requiring each to accept concealed handgun carry permits from every other state, even if the permit holder would not be allowed to obtain such a permit or carry a gun in the state in which he or she is traveling.

Forum Documentation

• 11/14/2011 - Brennan Center for Justice Report on Voting Law Changes in 2010
• 11/14/2011 - Dear Colleague on Voting Forum on "/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-judiciary.house.gov/files/documents/DearColleague111114.pdf">The Impact of Recent State Voting Law Changes"
• 11/14/2011 - Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Interactive State Voter Suppression Map of Shame

  Letters

Today, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Previously, the Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution held a hearing on H. J. Res 1, a balanced budget amendment, which the Full Committee subsequently reported. During the hearing, the majority's witnesses, including former U.S.attorney general and Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh, acknowledged that they could not support a balanced budget amendment as reported by the House Judiciary Committee. Following the hearing, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) made the following statement:

Today, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) said that the Democratic Staff of the House Judiciary Committee will review allegations that News Corporation ("News Corp.") has engaged in serious and systemic invasions of privacy. News Corp. is a United States media corporation with international operations.