Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee Markup of H.R. 2131, the “Supplying Knowledge-based Immigrants and Lifting Levels of STEM Visas Act (The SKILLS Visa Act).” This comes on the heels of a full committee Markup yesterday of H.R. 1772, the “Legal Workforce Act,” that would make E-Verify, an electronic employment verification system, mandatory for all employers. Following... Read more »
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a 5-4 decision, that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. Section 3 defined marriage for purposes of federal law as the legal union of a man and woman, thus denying thousands of married gay and lesbian couples federal responsibilities and rights provided all other married couples. Following the decision by the Supreme Court, Congress... Read more »
Today, senior members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee including John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr, (R-Wis.), Melvin L. Watt (D-N.C.), and Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) released this statement addressing the Supreme Court ruling in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder that overturned the coverage formula for Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. In a 5-4 decision, the Court voted "Our... Read more »
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder. In a 5-4 decision, the Court overturned the coverage formula for Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, stating that, "Our decision in no way affects the permanent, nationwide ban on racial discrimination in voting found in [Section] 2. We issue no holding on [Section] 5 itself, only on the coverage formula. Congress may draft a... Read more »
(DETROIT) – Following continued national security leaks by Edward Snowden, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement: “It is unfortunate that so much of Congress and the media’s focus is on the whereabouts of Edward Snowden. We should focus our time and attention on ensuring that law-abiding Americans are not unnecessarily subject to intrusive surveillance; making sure... Read more »
Yesterday, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee markup of H.R. 1773, the “Agricultural Guestworker Act.” Following the markup, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement: “The agriculture sector in the United States relies on more than a million undocumented workers to toil in our fields and put food on our tables. These workers are essential to o... Read more »
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives considered H.R. 1797 the, “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” on the House floor. The legislation, which imposes a nationwide ban on abortions performed after 20 weeks, passed the House by a vote of 228 to 196. Following the passage of this legislation, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement: “Following multiple weeks... Read more »
Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee markup of H.R. 2278, the “Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement (SAFE) Act.” Following his opening remarks, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement: “Rather than embrace the bipartisan spirit that is driving the passage of comprehensive immigration reform closer to reality in the Senate, my House Republi... Read more »
Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Congressman Justin Amash (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Liberty Caucus, announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation to address National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance. H.R. 2399, the "Limiting Internet and Blanket Electronic Review of Telecommunications and Email Act" (LIBERT-E Act), re... Read more »
Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released this statement applauding the Supreme Court ruling in Arizona et al. v. Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona that invalidated Arizona’s law requiring applicants to submit documentary proof of citizenship beyond what is required by the common registration “Federal Form” established by the National Voter Registration Act... Read more »