Press Releases
This morning, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, alongside the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Economic Growth, held a hearing entitled, "DOJ's Quid pro Quo with St. Paul: A Whistleblower's Perspective." Following the reading of opening statements at the hearing, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement:
"I am deeply disappointed in my colleagues from across the aisle for holding a joint hearing this morning that was misleading and not based in fact.
Today the Senate voted 69 to 27 to pass S. 336, the "Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013." This legislation would give states the option to require the collection of sales and use taxes already owed under state law by out-of-state businesses, rather than rely on consumers to remit those taxes to the states. Under the current tax loophole, while brick-and-mortar retailers collect sales and use taxes from customers who make purchases in their stores, many online and catalog retailers do not collect the same taxes.
Today, President Obama nominated Congressman Melvin L. "Mel" Watt (D-N.C.) to serve as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the independent federal regulator that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage financiers. Rep. Watt has represented the 12th Congressional District of North Carolina since 1993, and he currently serves as the ranking member of the Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. In addition, Rep.
Last night, in a proceeding convened in a Boston hospital room, a federal magistrate read criminal charges against Dzhokar Tsarnaev and advised him of his legal rights. Following reports of this proceeding, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released this statement:
Today, the House of Representatives voted 288 to 127 to pass H.R. 624, the "Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act" (CISPA). This legislation overrides current privacy laws to permit private companies to share information with the federal government if there is a suspected cyber threat, but does not require the companies to remove unrelated private information of customers from what they turn over. Under the bill, companies would also enjoy broad liability protection. Following passage of the bill, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement:
Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing entitled, "Mismanagement at the Civil Right Division of the Department of Justice." During his opening remarks, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) delivered the following statement:
This afternoon, the Obama administration announced the appointment of Melanie Roussell to the position of Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Following this announcement, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released this statement:
"I am delighted to learn that Melanie Roussell, my former Communications Director with the House Judiciary Committee, has been appointed to become the next Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at HUD," said Conyers.
Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Congressman C. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an investigation into emergency managers in Michigan. Reps.
This afternoon, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing entitled, "The Release of Criminal Detainees by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: Policy or Politics?" At the hearing, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) delivered the following statement during his opening remarks:
"The title of today's hearing-'The Release of Criminal Detainees by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: Policy or Politics?'-is somewhat misleading.
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Arizona v. ITCA. The Court was presented with the issue of whether, under the "National Voter Registration Act of 1993" (NVRA), states can demand additional requirements to the federal uniform voter registration form. Since Arizona's Proposition 200 ballot initiative was approved in November 2004, the state has rejected tens-of-thousands of registrants for lacking documentation specified by the state to prove citizenship, on the grounds that affirmation of U.S. citizenship required by the NVRA is insufficient.