Subcommittee Ranking Member Johnson’s Opening Statement at Hearing on Safeguarding America’s Justice System
Today, Rep. Hank Johnson, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet, delivered opening remarks during yet another Republican hearing to attack and undermine American courts—this time seeking to make it harder for litigants to access the courthouse doors. Below are Ranking Member Johnson’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at today’s hearing.
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WATCH Subcommittee Ranking Member Johnson’s opening statement. Ranking Member Hank Johnson Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here today. This subcommittee has held a series of bipartisan hearings over the last few years on the threat from the government of China. As a strategic competitor, China is seeking to develop cutting-edge technology to win the so-called “AI arms race” with the United States. It also competes for soft power around the world, competes for economic predominance, and competes for strategic resources. There is nothing wrong with competition. There is a problem with breaking the rules to get ahead, and that is what China has sought to do. Over our hearings we have examined cases of economic espionage, threats to American intellectual property, cybersecurity risks, and the different ways these actions by China threaten U.S. national security. Today, we’re here to examine the use of our court system by Chinese actors. We absolutely agree that China is seeking to gain ground in our strategic competition by encouraging Chinese businesses to harm American companies, and that can include through our court system. I’ve enjoyed working with Chairman Issa and my colleagues on these bipartisan hearings, and I sincerely hope we can continue to examine the threat from the government of China to our national security, our economy, and our power abroad on a consensus basis. But there are areas where we have disagreed. Last Congress, this Committee slated a partisan bill for markup that would have prevented companies on certain sanctions lists from obtaining new U.S. patents or enforcing the ones they already own, devaluing U.S. patents and violating international agreements. While the Preventing Adversarial Patents Act was removed before it could be considered by the Committee, the bill was a reminder that there are significant disagreements between the two parties on this issue. So, I worry that this hearing on China’s “abuse” of the U.S. courts may be a “trojan horse” to disguise a very different agenda. I fear that, as a so-called “solution to the China threat,” I will hear proposals like: “You can only file a case if you disclose all of the funders to your cause.”
The answer to a threat cannot be Republicans’ tort reform wishlist, and our constituents deserve better than a system where only the well-connected and the rich survive. Because that’s exactly what we would get from that list. This world I just outlined would mean that the big guys get their day in court, but little guys—the Davids to those Goliaths—would be shut out. America’s justice system has for so long been a shining light of equality to the world. And we must safeguard this impartial justice system now more than ever. Becoming more like China won’t stop China. It won’t work in our court system and it won’t work in our trade practices. But it’s a reasonable concern. Our democracy has been under fire by wanna-be authoritarian, Donald Trump, and his White House cronies – the very “big guys” who could benefit from all the proposals I just mentioned, who do not care about justice and the rule of law. These folks are the ones who let Democratic Senators get tackled to the ground at news conferences and who block Members of Congress from federal facilities. These are the leaders who tell the DOJ to investigate Members of Congress that dare criticize the President, and who nominate far-right MAGA loyalists like Emil Bove to federal judgeships, knowing that these sycophants will put Trump’s whims above the Constitution. And if we start chipping away at our impartial justice system and make it harder to access, Americans will lose their ability to challenge these assaults on our rights against these rich, connected people. We cannot let our system will become the playground for the “big guys” like Donald Trump and his cronies. That’s not justice. We must protect the system where no matter their status, anyone can walk into a U.S. courtroom and be treated as an equal. So again, I thank the Chairman and our witnesses, and I look forward to exploring this important issue. I yield back. |