Press Releases

Today, House Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) released the following statements after the White House announced the commutation of the sentences of 42 individuals:

Praising the action taken by the President, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. stated, “While I have been working with my colleagues in Congress to develop and adopt bipartisan legislation to reform our sentencing laws, and to improve other aspects of our criminal justice system, President Obama continues to take important steps to reduce sentences of those already incarcerated when appropriate.  I appreciate his consistent commitment to addressing these cases by using his constitutional authority to commute sentences, which is the just and fair approach to take.  To help address the problem of unfair sentencing and overincarceration, the President has urged Congress to act on the pending bills that would do so, and I ask that Congress answer that call without further delay.” 

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said, “I am encouraged by President Obama’s commutation of sentences of 42 individuals today – who were all victims of unjust sentencing.  Nearly all of these men and women would have been released and contributing back to society already had they been convicted under today’s laws or reform proposals. I welcome and applaud the commutations of the sentences of these individuals.  Incarcerating people for unwarranted lengths of time serves no constructive purpose.  The President has recognized this, as has Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and I hope the Administration’s Clemency Project will continue to address the multitude of cases in which sentence reductions are appropriate.”