CONYERS’ Remarks at Press Conference To Condemn Senseless Violence & Call For Congress To Act

Conyers: Out of Respect for All Who Have Lost Their Lives – Both Law Enforcement and Civilian – We Must Dedicate Ourselves to Engaging the Difficult Issues

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) joined members of the Congressional Black Caucus at a press conference today to denounce the slayings of police officers in Dallas,  and the slayings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. Below are Congressman Conyers’ remarks as prepared for delivery: 

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

“I stand here today with a heavy heart. From Orlando, to Baton Rouge, to Falcon Heights and Dallas – our Nation is reeling from recent acts of violence. My heart goes out to the families of every single one of the victims this week, including the fallen officers in Dallas.

“Whether mass shootings, officers dying in the line of duty, killings on our streets, or lives lost at the hands of misguided police - there are too many such tragedies. Congress cannot continue to sit on the sidelines while blood flows in our streets. There are real issues of public safety impacting Americans that must be addressed at the federal level.

“I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: we need to adopt gun violence prevention legislation to expand background checks to all gun purchases, and we need to reinstate a ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons.   And at the same time, I also believe we need to take a comprehensive approach at addressing the issue of building and strengthening trust between local police and their communities.

“As the longest serving Member of Congress, I have dedicated a major portion of my career to policing issues and gun violence prevention, introducing legislation, chairing town hall discussions across the country, and meeting with the grieving families of fallen officers and citizens alike.  As part of the now controversial 1994 Crime Bill, I was able to pass the Federal Pattern and Practice Enforcement provision that allows the Department of Justice to investigate state and local police departments, most recently like Ferguson and Baltimore, for unconstitutional and discriminatory conduct.

“Last year, the Judiciary Committee held a hearing on 21^st Century Policing Strategies to begin addressing the issue at the Federal level.  Shortly before the hearing, I introduced the End Racial Profiling Act which works to eliminate racial profiling through changing the policies and procedures underlying the practice.

“Following the hearing, I introduced the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, which would provide incentives for local police organizations to voluntarily adopt performance-based standards to ensure that incidents of misconduct will be minimized through appropriate management, training and oversight protocols and that if such incidents do occur, that they will be properly investigated.  The bill also provides police officers -- the vast majority of whom are great people who are concerned about their communities -- with the tools necessary to work with their communities and to enhance their professional growth and education.

“Since that time, Chairman Goodlatte and I have been hard at work on negotiating a version the Law Enforcement Trust & Integrity Act to bring before the Committee.  However, like too many well intended efforts, we are stuck at the 1 yard line, trying to push toward a finish.

“We have been able to find agreement on major items, like accreditation standards, best practices, body cameras and even data collection.  The real challenge now is finding the support to bring the bill forward in the Committee.  We must find a way past objections to this most basic tenet: if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it....

“Though there has been a consistent call for mandatory data collection by law enforcement agencies – with 28 states passing some form of data collection requirements and 17 others having proposed legislation – data collection remains a serious matter of controversy in the law enforcement community. 

“The tragic shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile might have been avoided with better training, particularly in detentions and use of force, as addressed by accreditation standards and best practice provisions currently in negotiation before the Committee. 

           

“I will continue to work with Chairman Goodlatte to see this bill progress. I will also continue to work with my colleagues to push for passage of commonsense gun violence prevention bills that we know will make us safer.

           

“Out of respect for all who have lost their lives – both law enforcement and civilian – we must dedicate ourselves to engaging the difficult issues to make lasting change in our communities and heal as a Nation.”

Congressman Conyers introduced both the End Racial Profiling Act and the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act to help build trust and strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

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MR. CONYERS: TO SPEAK TO THE URGENT NEED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF GUN VIOLENCE IN THIS COUNTRY

 WE NEED TO CONSIDER NOT ONLY MASS SHOOTINGS, BUT THE DAILY TOLL OF GUN VIOLENCE THAT AFFLICTS ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES. IN ONE YEAR ON AVERAGE, 108,000 AMERICANS ARE SHOT IN MURDERS, ASSAULTS, SUICIDE, AND SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, ACCIDENTS, AND POLICE ACTION. APPROXIMATELY 32,000 -- 32,500 OF THESE INDIVIDUALS DIE. NEARLY 12,000 ARE MURDERED. MORE THAN 31 AMERICANS EVERY DAY. WE KNOW WHAT WILL WORK TO REDUCE THAT. WE MUST ACT TO EXPAND BACKGROUND CHECKS TO CLOSE THE PRIVATE SALE LOOPHOLE AND MAKE SURE THOSE CHECKS PREVENT THE SALES OF GUNS TO TERRORISTS. WE SHOULD COME TOGETHER TO VOTE ON THE TWO BILLS AND REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE. I YIELD BACK THE BALANCE OF MY TIME.

 Michigan Democratic Congressional Delegation along with community leaders of the Metropolitan Detroit Region at the Berkley Police Department, June 29, 2016 addressing an end to gun violence.

Moms Demand Action for gun sense in America were one of the groups speaking out in support.

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CONYERS & LAWRENCE Take Action To End Gun Violence

31 Americans lose theirs lives every day to gun violence. Congress can't sit idly by—the time to act is NOW.

I joined Rep. Brenda Lawrence for an inter-faith gun violence round table to identify ways to ‪#‎EndGunViolence‬ in Michigan, especially in the ‪#‎Detroit‬ Metropolitan area.

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CONYERS: We Must Never Forget The Nine Lives Lost In Charleston

"It’s been one year since the brutal murder of nine innocent African-Americans at the historically black Emmanuel AME Church in South Carolina. 

Today we remember them as we reflect on the tragic loss of life. 

I am reminded that while the killer was bound by evil hatred, the system failed us in that situation. 

We must strengthen our gun laws to close loopholes that allow guns to fall into the wrong hands.", said Conyers.

#EndHateCrimes #EndGunViolence

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Conyers and Jackson Lee Praise President Obama’s Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer

WASHINGTON – The Administration has released a description of the Executive Actions President Obama will be taking to help reduce gun violence in America. Included in these initiatives are steps toexpand and improve the conduct of background checks for prospective firearms purchasers, provide more resources for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), strengthen investigation and prosecution of gun crimes, require the reporting of firearms lost or stolen in transit, increase funding for mental health treatment, and study the development and use of technology to increase firearms safety. 

Praising the President’s bold action to curb gun violence, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), which has jurisdiction over firearms issues, released the following statement:

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

“We commend the President for announcing that he will use his executive power to implement significant new initiatives that will make our citizens safer from gun violence.  These actions are not only appropriate they are lawfully within the Administration’s executive authority.  While this Congress has refused to act on this issue, the facts and the law demand action.  On average, 31 people are murdered with guns every day in America and more than 32,000 people die from gun violence in this country every year.  We cannot simply continue to stand by and do nothing, and that is why the President’s actions are so critically important.  Now it is time for Congress to step up to the plate to do even more by passing sensible measures to reduce gun violence.” 

The House Committee on the Judiciary has jurisdiction over jurisdiction over protecting constitutional freedoms and civil liberties, oversight of the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, legal and regulatory reform, innovation, competition and anti-trust laws, terrorism and crime, and immigration policy.

NOW IS THE TIME WH.GOV/NOW-IS-THE-TIME JANUARY SIXTEENTH TWO THOUSAND AND THIRTEEN GUN VIOLENCE REDUCTION E... by Beverly Tran

Click HERE for more information on President’s Obama’s executive actions to curb gun violence.

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Guest commentary: Congress must not weaken the Violence Against Women Act

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

For nearly 20 years, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has been effective at protecting victims of domestic and sexual violence and holding perpetrators accountable. Domestic violence has dropped by more than half since the legislation became law in 1994.

Yet the House of Representatives is set to consider a bill this week that would repeal and weaken some of VAWA's most critical protections.

VAWA has long enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support. Bills to reauthorize and further strengthen its protections passed by near-unanimous votes in 2000 and 2005. Bipartisanship was also on display last month when Senate Democrats and Republicans passed their own bill to strengthen VAWA with supermajority support.

But the bill now being pushed by House Republican leadership is different. Unlike every VAWA reauthorization before it, this bill would leave women less protected than under current law. The bill would endanger victims, embolden perpetrators of violence, and eliminate essential law enforcement tools to keep women safe. It is a giant leap backward.

House Republican leaders argue that opposition to their bill is hollow partisanship. But a diverse and wide-ranging coalition of domestic violence organizations, women's groups, faith-based groups, and law enforcement agencies beg to differ.

U.S. Representative
Zoe Lufgren

The leading domestic violence organizations, including the thousands of service providers in the National Network to End Domestic Violence, strongly oppose the bill because it would "weaken, rather than enhance, protections for victims of domestic violence." Leading researchers in universities across the country echo their concerns over how the bill will "roll back and eviscerate protections."

These are the real people on the front lines against domestic and sexual violence in the country. They are not partisan organizations seeking to score political points.

Neither are the faith-based groups, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Association of Evangelicals, that also harbor deep concerns over the sections of the bill repealing protections for battered immigrant women. Many of these protections have been in the law for almost 20 years. A recent letter to Congress states that that they are "deeply troubled" by the bill's efforts to "roll back protections in current law for battered non-citizens, making them more vulnerable and, in some cases, endangering their lives."

The National Organization for Women (NOW) denounced last Tuesday's passage of the bill in committee. The Evangelical Church and NOW usually don't agree. But both groups share similar concerns and oppose the House bill.

A coalition of law enforcement officers with expertise in domestic and sexual violence cases has also expressed in a letter to Congress their "strong opposition" to provisions in the House bill. Among other things, the bill fails to include provisions requested by law enforcement organizations -- including the Fraternal Order of Police and its 330,000 officers -- critical to investigating crimes and prosecuting offenders.

In contrast, the few supporters of the House Republican bill we know of include anti-immigrant organizations, groups that purport to represent the interests of men accused of domestic violence and one international marriage brokerage company reported to have a financial incentive in eliminating protections for "mail order brides." A Federal jury in 2006 found that the head of this company, who lobbies for the changes contained in the House bill, intentionally withheld information about VAWA protections to a pregnant and severely battered immigrant woman to protect her company's "95% success rate."

House Republicans can continue to dismiss opposition to their bill as knee-jerk partisanship. But the broad coalition opposed to the bill tells quite a different story.

John Conyers, a Democrat from Detroit, represents Michigan's 14th District in the U.S. House of Representatives and has filed to run for re-election in the 13th District. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from San Jose, Calif., represents that state's 16th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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GOP Etch A Sketch can’t erase war on women

GOP Etch A Sketch can’t erase war on women

U.S. Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

Republicans are sensing a monumental misstep with their attacks on women’s rights this election season. So they recently took a page from their presumptive presidential nominee and reached for the Etch A Sketch. There is no war on women, according to them, and never was. It was just a figment of our imagination.

But evidence of a war is all too clear. The latest battle is, ironically, being waged on a dangerous bill introduced by House Republican leaders to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

The VAWA first passed with strong bipartisan support in 1994. Subsequent efforts to increase its protections passed Congress with little controversy. The Senate continued this tradition last month by strengthening protections with a bipartisan supermajority.

But the House Republican bill is a far cry from the Senate bill. It not only fails to include the Senate’s improvements, like protections for Native American and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims, it eliminates long-standing protections for immigrant women — leaving them more vulnerable to abuse.

The VAWA was designed to protect all women and empower law enforcement to go after abusers. Of prime importance are protections for immigrant women — particularly vulnerable because of their dependence on spouses for immigration status. Abusers often use threats of deportation and permanent separation from children as powerful tools to control their battered wives.

The VAWA’s principal protection gives victims the ability to petition for their own immigration status. By letting women take control of their own lives and provide for their children, the law helps them leave abusive relationships and cooperate with police to hold perpetrators accountable.

The House bill butchers this protection by violating a sacred component of the process — that the wife’s petition be kept secret. Rather than preserve confidentiality protections, the bill would have immigration officers contact abusers whose wives are seeking protection — tipping them off to the fact that their wives are taking steps to leave.

This is a horrendous step backward. It is well-established that the most dangerous time for a battered wife is when she begins the separation process. When the abuser first realizes that his wife is asserting control over her own life, he often retaliates. The House Republican bill would make the government complicit in this.

The House bill further dismantles the VAWA protections by eviscerating the U visa process, which is critical to protecting women from severe abuse. The VAWA has long authorized police officers to recommend victims of serious crimes for U visas if necessary, both to protect the victims and to ensure their continued cooperation. Two-thirds of U visa recipients are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or rape.

The House bill would deny a victim protection unless she reports the crime within 60 days. This essentially abandons those who need protection most — women who can’t come forward because of a continuing threat of retaliation or the social stigma and psychological damage attendant on heinous crimes such as rape.

We don’t bar the prosecution of a serious crime for failure to report it within 60 days. Why deny a victim protection and law enforcement the tools it needs to secure the victim’s cooperation for such a failure?

The House Republican bill would also eliminate a long-standing provision that allows victims with U visas, which offer temporary benefits, to get permanent protection through green cards if they cooperate fully with law enforcement. Eliminating this opportunity would likely result in less cooperation, fewer prosecutions and more criminal conduct that endangers women.

The VAWA has had two purposes: to protect victims and to help prosecute perpetrators. The House Republican bill undermines both — eliminating existing protections for women and depriving police of the tools needed to hold offenders accountable. All this serves to undermine years of community-policing efforts that are widely credited with reducing violence against women across the country.

Republicans may have reached for the Etch A Sketch. But the picture they have drawn can’t easily be erased.

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) is the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.

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Conyers Fights Dangerous Gun Legislation: Bill Would Override States’ Efforts to Reduce Gun Violence

Contact: Matthew Morgan

OCT 26, 2011 Issues: Health Care

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) led the opposition to H.R. 822, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011,” a dangerous bill that would override the laws of almost every state by obliging each to accept concealed handgun carry permits from every other state, even if the permit holder would not be allowed to carry or even possess a handgun in the state where he or she is traveling.   The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill by 19-11 vote with all Democrats and one Republican opposed to the bill.   

During consideration of the bill, Committee Republicans refused to adopt Ranking Member Conyers’  amendment to preserve the application of state laws concerning eligibility to carry concealed weapons within their borders.  Committee Republicans also rejected other common sense amendments offered by Democrats that would have allowed states to prevent concealed carrying of handguns by those with out of state permits with convictions for offenses such as misdemeanor assault on police officers and misdemeanor sex offenses against children. 

“The refusal by Committee Republicans to allow states to protect their citizens against gun violence has set the country on to a dangerous path,” said Conyers.  “The proliferation of guns on our Nation’s streets is an urgent problem in need of solution.  For example, the chances of being murdered for African American males in Detroit between ages 15 and 24 have risen rapidly in recent years, and nationally, almost 300 African American youth aged 15 to 24 are injured by gun fire each week. 

“More concealed guns on the streets, in contravention to local state laws, will not solve this problem, but make it worse.  

“Each state must be allowed to make critical public safety determinations like conceal-and-carry laws without Congress overruling them.  The opinion of local and state law enforcement agencies hold great weight in these matters.  And during the hearing on the bill recently held by the Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey summarized best their concerns with the bill:  ‘This bill would eliminate the right that states now have to set their own public safety laws, in consultation with law enforcement professionals.  This legislation is not aligned with our vision for the future of policing.  It is counter to what the field of law enforcement needs to create safer neighborhoods, towns and cities.’” 

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