CONYERS & House Judiciary Dems Urge Goodlatte To Take Up Trump's Pardon Of Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Committee Dems Send 5^th Request to Chairman for Oversight of Trump Administration

Washington, D.C. – Today, all House Judiciary Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Immigration Subcommittee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), wrote to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (D-VA) to ask that he investigate Trump’s pardon of controversial sheriff Joe Arpaio and related events.

The letter is below.

In July, Joe Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt after years of racially profiling and arresting individuals based on their perceived immigration status. In today’s letter to Goodlatte, the members wrote, “Sheriff Arpaio was convicted for criminal contempt of court because he ignored orders from a federal judge to stop engaging in racial profiling.  The pardon not only disregards the rule of law, it directly flouts the courts themselves by signaling that it is acceptable for parties to ignore court orders.”

The letter notes that for “125 years, presidents have worked through the Pardon Attorney to ensure that the power of clemency is fairly applied.  President Trump chose to work around this mechanism and ignore DOJ policy calling for a waiting period of five years or more before considering a pardon application and the expression of regret or remorse by the applicant.” It further details that “before resorting to a full pardon, President Trump asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to simply drop the criminal case against Sheriff Arpaio,” pointing out that the House Judiciary Committee  “has long defended the view that presidents should avoid involvement in specific criminal cases in order to avoid even the perception of politicizing the administration of justice.”

The Members continued, “It is also our Committee’s unique and pressing responsibility to conduct oversight of the President’s use of executive power—particularly when that power is expressed as a pardon that only serves to endorse the transgressions committed by the offender.  If we do not examine this use of the pardon power, we fear that the Committee will be seen by our constituents—and by future generations—as also having endorsed the Sheriff’s conduct.” 

Today’s letter was signed by every Democratic member of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, which includes: Representatives John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Karen Bass (D-CA), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), David Cicilline (D-RI), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Brad Schneider (D-IL). 

Conyers & Judiciary Democrats Letter To Bob Goodlatte to Address Pardon of Joe Arpaio by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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CONYERS: Top Judiciary Democrats Warn Trump Not To Block Comey Testimony

DEMS TO WHITE HOUSE: ASSERTING PRIVILEGE TO BLOCK COMEY IS BASELESS, AND FURTHER PROOF OF OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE

Washington, D.C. – In several public appearances today, White House spokesmen have refused to rule out the possibility that President Trump will invoke executive privilege in an attempt to block former FBI Director James Comey from testifying before Congress.  House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr., together with the Democratic leadership of the House Committee on the Judiciary, wrote to White House Counsel Donald McGahn, below, to remind him “that any such assertion of privilege is almost certainly baseless.” 

The letter is signed by House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI); House Judiciary Subcommittee Ranking Members Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Steve Cohen (D-TN), David N. Cicilline (D-RI); and House Judiciary Committee Vice Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD).

U.S. House Judiciary Democrats Notice Of Executive Privilege In FBI Director James Comey Testimony Letter 6... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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CONYERS: Members Of Congress Press Conference On Medicare For All Legislation

On Wednesday, May 24^th at 9:45AM, Members of Congress held a press conference at the House Triangle to provide a new update on legislation to expand Medicare to a national, single payer system. Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), the sponsor of H.R. 676, The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, will be joined by Members of Congress, along with representatives from Physicians for a National Health Plan and National Nurses United.

In attendance were:

Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives  

Congressman Keith Ellison, Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair

Congressman Ro Khanna

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman

Congressman Jamie Raskin

Congressman Adriano Espaillat

Congressman Peter Welch

Dr. Philip Verhoef, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, ICU physician, University of Chicago

Jean Ross, RN., Co-President, National Nurses United

Additional Members of Congress

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House Judiciary GOP Skip Out On Trump-Russia Resolution Debate; Vote To Kill Two Dem Requests For Information From WH & DOJ

Majority Once Again, Refuses Dem Attempts to Conduct Basic Oversight

Washington, DC – Today, House Judiciary Committee Republicans voted to kill H. Res. 184, below, a resolution of inquiry introduced by Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Ted Lieu (D-CA), that would have required the White House and Department of Justice to release information about contacts between Russian officials and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, among other Trump Administration figures. Republicans on the committee also voted down H. Res. 203,  (second below) introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL), that would have required the White House and Justice Department to provide information, if any, on Trump’s unsubstantiated allegation that President Obama “wiretapped” him.  

House Judiciary Republicans Appear Uninterested in Oversight: During the markup, Republicans refused to engage in debate on the resolutions.  The Majority’s side of the room was largely empty.  Chairman Goodlatte repeatedly referred to the resolutions as a “waste of the committee’s time.”  Both resolutions failed on party line votes.

Judiciary Republicans were mostly absent from today’s debate.

House Judiciary Republicans Reject Amendment to get Information on Nunes’ Visit to the White House:  During the markup, Vice Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) offered an amendment to H. Res. 203 to request information related to Chairman Devin Nunes’ secretive visit to the White House.  On March 23, 2017, Chairman Devin Nunes of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence told reporters that, “on numerous occasions, the intelligence community incidentally collected information about U.S. citizens involved in the Trump transition.”  Chairman Nunes then traveled back to the White House to share his findings with President Donald Trump.  He still has not shared those findings with his colleagues on the Committee.  Republicans voted down this amendment on a party line vote.

House Judiciary Republicans Limit Debate on Trump’s Lies, Nunes’ Behavior, and Sessions’ False Testimony:  Several times during the markup, Chairman Goodlatte threatened to “take down” the statements of Members attempting to describe the factual record—in effect, forcing them to withdraw their words from the record or lose their speaking privileges for the day.  House Rules prohibit impugning the character or motives of the President—but it is true, as Ranking Members Conyers stated, that “President Trump has a long and colorful history of saying things that are simply untrue.”

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), House Judiciary Committee Members Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Ted Lieu, and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Member Rep. Mike Quigley, today released the following statement after the markup:

“Once again, Republicans have proven that they’d rather become complicit with scandals than engage in proper oversight of the Trump Administration. Today, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee took their second and third votes to block Democratic efforts to obtain basic information about interactions between Trump’s inner circle and Putin’s Russia. Republicans can no longer sit idly by and pretend that none of these matters of vital national security importance are real. The American people expect more and the future of our democracy requires it.”

Background

House Judiciary Committee Democrats have long been calling for House Judiciary Republicans to provide proper oversight over Trump and his Administration. On March 10^th, every Democratic member of the Committee called on Chairman Goodlatte to “get moving on Trump oversight.”

Despite Judiciary Republicans’ attempts to block Democratic efforts, these resolutions of inquiry should be the proper next step in the Committee’s oversight of the Trump Administration. They follow two letters to Chairman Bob Goodlatte—both signed by every Democratic member of the Committee—requesting hearings about federal conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions that may apply to the President.  Democrats have also sent several letters to Speaker Paul Ryan, (third below) the Department of Justice and the White House requesting this and related information concerning Trump’s ties to Russia. 

Just a few weeks ago, House Judiciary Republicans blocked Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s (D-NY) resolution of inquiry from reaching the House floor.  The Nadler resolution would have provided Congress with information relevant to President Trump’s conflicts of interest, his potential violations of the Foreign Emoluments Clause, and ties between his advisors and the Russian regime.  During that markup, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Chairman Goodlatte (R-VA) indicated that the Nadler resolution was unnecessary because the Majority was drafting a bipartisan letter to Attorney General Sessions.  To date, no such letter has been sent.

H.R. 184 Inquiry Requesting President and Attorney General To Turn Over Documents To Congress on Russian Co... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Letter to House Judiciary Chairman Goodlatte on Congressional Oversight of DOJ Trump-Russia Investigation... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

House Ranking Members to Speaker Ryan On President Trump Violating Emolument Clause 1-12-2017 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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HOUSE JUDICIARY DEMS & CBC CHAIR CONDEMN GOP EFFORTS TO STRIP AWAY CRITICAL VOTING INFRASTRUCTURE

Washington, DC – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr (D-MI), along with Congressional Black Caucus Chair Cedric Richmond (D-LA) and House Judiciary Committee Members Reps. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Jamie Raskin (D-MD), today released the following joint statement after the Republican led House Committee on Administration voted on party lines to repeal the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) yesterday:

“Republicans on the House Administration Committee voted yesterday to repeal the Election Assistance Commission, an agency critical to combatting threats to our electoral system and the only federal agency in the United States with a mission of improving the administration of elections.

“It is absurd that Republicans will vote against the creation of an independent commission to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, but they will spend taxpayer money to strip away critical federal election infrastructure.

“All who care about protecting our democracy must be prepared to fight this reckless attack on the EAC every step of the way.”

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CONYERS Welcomes New Judiciary Democrats & Announces Subcommittee Assignments For 115th Congress

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) welcomed four new Democratic Members to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and announced the new subcommittee structure for the 115^th Congress. 

Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) are new to the committee. Congressman Jamie Raskin, a former constitutional law professor, will serve in a newly created Vice Ranking Member position this Congress.

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

“I am pleased to welcome four new, and thirteen returning, Members to the House Judiciary Committee,” said Ranking Member Conyers. “I look forward to working with my Democratic colleagues to stand up for our principles in the upcoming Congress, including protecting voting rights, reforming our criminal justice system, crafting common sense immigration reforms, protecting  consumer health and safety, protecting our constitutional values, and holding the Administration accountable.”

The House Judiciary Committee Democratic Structure for the 115th Congress:

Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Subcommittee

David N. Cicilline (RI-01) – Ranking Member

Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04)

Eric Swalwell (CA-15)

Jamie Raskin (MD-08)

Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)

The Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee

Steve Cohen (TN-09) – Ranking Member

Jamie Raskin (MD-08)

Jerrold Nadler (NY-10)

Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee

Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) – Ranking Member

Luis Gutierrez (IL-04)

Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)

Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)

Judy Chu (CA-27)

Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee

Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) – Ranking Member

Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04)

Judy Chu (CA-27)

Ted Deutch (FL-22)

Karen Bass (CA-37)

Cedric Richmond (LA-02)

Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)

Eric Swalwell (CA-15)

Ted Lieu (CA-33)

Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)

Steve Cohen (TN-09)

Luis Gutierrez (IL-04)

Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee

Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) – Ranking Member

Ted Deutch (FL-22)

Karen Bass (CA-37)

Cedric Richmond (LA-02)

Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)

David N. Cicilline (RI-01)

Ted Lieu (CA-33)

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HOUSE JUDICIARY DEMOCRATS RENEW CALL FOR HEARINGS ON TRUMP’S CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Washington, DC – All House Judiciary Democrats, led by Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), today renewed their request to have House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) hold hearings to examine the federal conflicts-of-interest and ethics laws that may apply to President Donald Trump.

The members of the committee originally requested a hearing in November 2016, after then President-elect Donald Trump’s vague announcement that he would leave his “…great business in total...” Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. also requested the Congressional Research Service (CRS), a non-partisan legislative agency operating out of the Library of Congress, to prepare a list of federal ethics and conflict-of-interest rules that may apply to Trump when he assumed office. This list includes four criminal statutes and the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. 

Today’s letter was signed by every Democratic member of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, including: Representatives John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Karen Bass (D-CA), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), David Cicilline (D-RI), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).

House Judiciary Democrats Second Request For Hearings On Trump's Conflicts Of Iinterest by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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