Press Releases
Today, at the House Judiciary Full Committee's Hearing on the "Constitutionality of the Individual Mandate," Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and his Democratic colleagues stressed how the Affordable Healthcare Act's foundations are constitutionally sound, invoking the Constitution's plain language, past Supreme Court cases, and the establishment of federal programs, such as Medicare and Social Security.
Today, at the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law Hearing on the Role of Public Employee Pensions in Contributing to State Insolvency, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. rejected the proposal to have states file for bankruptcy to relieve them of their contractual obligations, such as collective bargaining agreements and pension funding commitments, under bankruptcy law.
Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. and Judiciary Democrats voted again not to renew expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, calling for a more open process and thorough review of the bill's most controversial provisions. After last week's bipartisan rejection of the bill, Republican leadership brought the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 back to the House Floor today, under a closed rule, with limited debate and no opportunity for amendment.
Late last night, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a budget proposal (H.R. 1) that will make immediate and drastic cuts to the Justice Department, Homeland Security Department, and other federal agencies.
Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member, John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement regarding the proposal:
Today, House Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) challenged the Republican House's decision to spend ten hours of floor time and federal tax resources debating a function Congress already performs in overseeing regulations.
Today at the House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee hearing on "E-Verify-Preserving Jobs for American Workers," Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) argued that making E-Verify mandatory and continuing to pursue an enforcement-only approach would not fix the country's broken immigration system and do nothing to solve the country's problems.
Today, at a press conference ahead of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution hearing on H.R. 3, the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," House Judiciary Democrats staunchly rejected Republicans' characterization of the bill as a federal funding measure. In their remarks, Judiciary Democrats, led by Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr.
Today, House Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) rose on the House Floor in opposition to H.R. 514 which would extend, until December 8, 2011, the three expiring provisions of the USA Patriot Act. H.R. 514 is being considered today for House passage, without any hearings, markups, nor the opportunity for amendments that would have allowed for necessary bipartisan reform measures to be enacted.
On Tuesday, February 8, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) will push back against Republican efforts to curtail women's reproductive rights. House Judiciary Democrats believe that H.R. 3 represents an unacceptable attack on a woman's right to choose and a distraction from the economic relief that Americans expect from Congress.
Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, joined by the other fifteen Democrats on the Committee, today asked Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) to hold hearings on gun safety in the wake of the recent Tucson shootings.
"It is more important than ever that we examine our gun safety laws and regulations," said Conyers. "It is simply common sense to limit the availability of high capacity magazines, and ensure that individuals banned by law from owning firearms are, in fact, prevented from buying guns."