DOJ and FTC Must Do More To Rein in Corporate Excesses

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For Immediate Release

Date: Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Contact: Matthew Morgan – 202-226-5543

DOJ and FTC Must Do More To Rein in Corporate Excesses Free and competitive markets are the foundation of a strong economy (WASHINGTON) –  Today, the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet held an oversight hearing on the antitrust enforcement agencies.  The top federal officials charged with enforcing antitrust laws, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz and Acting Assistant Attorney General Sharis Pozen of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, testified before the subcommittee.  House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) made the following statement:  “It is worth noting that under this administration the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice have done more to enforce our antitrust laws than under the previous one.  However this gives me little comfort. “American and transnational conglomerates continue to engage in unlawful and anticompetitive conduct.  Companies like Google, Monsanto, and Goldman Sachs often act with impunity when it comes to engaging in unlawful and anti-competitive practices because they know they can exploit gaping loopholes and a government whose antitrust and criminal enforcement resources and commitment are weak. “Strong antitrust enforcement is critical to our nation.  Free and competitive markets are the foundation of a strong economy.         “Weak antitrust enforcement stifles job creation and weakens the economy.  The phrase “Too-big-to-fail” sums it all up: Companies like AIG, CitiGroup, and the Wall Street predators are so large that our entire economy depends on their success.  Yet three years after a recession that stemmed from Wall Street excesses, not one Wall Street CEO has gone to prison.  The result is an economy that has become too concentrated and distorted.  “In each case when our federal antitrust enforcers have stepped up, they have helped restore competition to the market to protect consumers. The Justice Department’s successful challenge to block the H&R Block/TaxACT merger, ongoing suit to block AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile, and the FTC’s 2010 settlement with Intel are wins for consumers.  Promising developments may come with the Justice Department’s challenge against Blue Cross Blue Shield’s conduct in Michigan and the FTC’s work on the anti-competitive pay-for-delay agreements among pharmaceutical manufacturers that keep generic drugs off the market. “As Google attempts to purchase Motorola, as Verizon teams up with the new Comcast-NBC-Universal on shared service ventures, and as the whims of Wall Street Investment firms wreak havoc on the global economy, we need consumer and competition-oriented antitrust enforcement to become a top priority for our government.” ###

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Conyers Amendment Preserves Judgeships In Michigan and Across the Country

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For Immediate Release

Date: Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Contact: Matthew Morgan – 202-226-5543

Conyers Amendment Preserves Judgeships In Michigan and Across the Country House Passes H.R. 1021, the “Temporary Bankruptcy Judgeships Extension Act of 2011” (WASHINGTON) –  Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1021, the “Temporary Bankruptcy Judgeships Extension Act of 2011.”  The bill extends by 5 years the authorizations for 30 temporary bankruptcy judgeships in 20 judicial districts around the country.  Included in the bill is an amendment authored by Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) which provided for the extension of many additional temporary judgeships across the country, including one in the Eastern District of Michigan.                                          “A well-functioning bankruptcy system is essential to helping individuals and businesses weather our Nation's current economic difficulties,” said Conyers.  “Bankruptcy proceedings provide a means for individual Americans and businesses to seek a financial fresh start, allowing them to pay off creditors without punishing them with crushing debt.  And a smooth functioning judiciary is particularly necessary when our Nation is experiencing the worst economic distress since the Great Depression of the 1930's.  “Nearly 1.6 million bankruptcy cases were filed last year, representing an increase of more than 8 percent over the prior year.  Between the years of 2007 and 2009, bankruptcy case filings increased by more than 30 percent for each of these years over the prior years. “Last Congress, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4506, the ‘Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2010,’ by a 345 to 5 vote.  Both Chairman Lamar Smith and I were original cosponsors of that bill, which would have created 13 new permanent bankruptcy judgeships  – including 3 in the Eastern District of Michigan – converted 22 temporary judgeships to permanent judgeships, and extended 2 temporary judgeships. “The need for these additional judgeships has not diminished.  In fact, they are needed even more.  However, H.R. 1021 at least ensures that the federal bankruptcy judiciary, which is straining under the weight of soaring case filings over the last several years, will maintain its current resources.”                  ###

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Boehner Seeks to Curb Obama’s Rules Power

The U.S. House today approved the second in a series of bills to limit the president’s authority to regulate business, a move Republicans called necessary for job creation and Democrats labeled a political power grab.

House Speaker John Boehner, who said the package is a top priority, will face difficulty winning final passage of the legislation, which the White House has threatened to veto. Still, Republicans said the votes would highlight the issue of government’s role in regulating business, which they have made a major campaign issue.

Today’s 253-167 vote would force agencies to adopt the least-expensive version of a regulation. Next week, the House will consider a measure taking away President Barack Obama’s authority -- and that of future presidents -- to issue major rules. Congress would have to approve them first.

“The ‘get government off our backs’ message is red meat for the Republican base,” Larry Sabato, director of the center for politics at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, said in an interview. To moderate voters, he said, “it’s not a full meal. Most people favor at least some regulations. ‘Do you want arsenic in your fruit juice?’ is a great Democratic retort.”

Fewer Regulations

The House voted yesterday, 263-159, to require regulatory agencies to calculate the small-business impact of new rules.

The series of regulatory bills fits with Republicans’ 2010 “Pledge to America” campaign document. Similar reforms appeared in presidential candidate Newt Gingrich’s 1994 “Contract with America,” which helped him become the first Republican House speaker in 40 years.

The package’s centerpiece legislation, scheduled to be voted on next week, is called the Regulations in Need of Scrutiny, or REINS Act. It would require Congress to sign off on every agency rule with an annual cost of $100 million or more on business. Now, Congress must vote to block the president from issuing regulations.

The bill “provides a long-term solution to stopping job- crushing regulations by creating a process to responsibly evaluate whether or not regulations that have a significant economic impact are necessary,” Boehner said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.

The White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement Nov. 29 it would recommend a presidential veto if it passes both houses of Congress.

Obama’s Regulation Record

The administration works “very aggressively to ensure that we take the necessary action to protect our air and water and that we also issue regulations and reform regulations in a way that makes them as efficient as possible,” Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said at a briefing yesterday.

Recent reports have questioned the extent to which the administration is regulating business.

Obama has weakened proposed rules at a greater rate than his Republican predecessor, President George W. Bush, according to a study released Nov. 29 by the Center for Progressive Reform.

Obama had imposed fewer regulations on business than Bush through the first 33 months of their tenures, while the cost of those rules had been higher under Obama, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Regulations ‘Save Lives’

Democrats warned of the consequences of loosening the regulatory environment too much.

“The trio of public safety-killing legislation would make it harder to control and make safe our products that we count on,” Representative John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, said on the floor yesterday. “Regulations don’t kill jobs, they save lives.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid isn’t focused on bringing the package to the floor for a vote, Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for the Nevada Democrat, said in an e-mail.

Even if eventually defeated, the House bills on regulation will emerge in the 2012 presidential race because they capture the conservative theme of getting government out of business, Noah Sachs, an associate law professor at the University of Richmond, said in an interview.

“Each presidential candidate will be put on the spot and forced to take a stand,” Sachs said.

Should Republicans capture the White House and Senate while keeping the House, “I would expect regulatory reform to be one of the first things to pass,” he said.

‘Regulators Gone Wild’

Presidential candidates Representative Michelle Bachmann and Representative Ron Paul have signed on as co-sponsors to the REINS Act. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney endorsed it in his Plan for Jobs and Economic Growth, released Sept. 6.

Regardless of the political party controlling the executive branch, REINS is necessary to stop “regulators gone wild,” Representative Geoff Davis, a Kentucky Republican and lead sponsor of the bill, said yesterday in an interview.

Business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers back regulatory reform.

“Manufacturers of all sizes are impacted by harmful and unnecessary regulations, but small businesses are disproportionately affected,” President and CEO Jay Timmons said in a statement yesterday.

The measure “truly would kick-start our economy,” Representative Rick Berg, a North Dakota Republican who co- sponsored the bill, said in an interview yesterday.

Uncertainty for Business

“Regulatory uncertainty -- there’s not a business that exists that doesn’t think about that,” Berg said. “The goal is to have businesses make decisions based on supply and demand, not out of concern about regulatory and tax burdens.”

REINS and the other two bills “are aimed at bringing the regulatory system to a halt by tying agencies up in knots,” Rick Melberth, regulatory policy director of OMB Watch, a liberal advocacy organization in Washington, said in an interview. He said the bills “usurp” presidential power.

The legislation passed today is H.R. 3010. The bill passed yesterday is H.R. 527. The measure being considered next week is H.R. 10.

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Dem says Perry wants Congress to get jobs at WalMart

By Pete Kasperowicz - 12/02/11 09:57 AM ET

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) on Friday morning said GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry is pushing for a Congress that works just half of its time in Washington, and the other half of its time at members' local WalMart.

Speaking on the House floor, Cohen was critiquing a GOP bill that could come up next week that would require Congress to approve all federal regulations. Cohen said this would require Congress to be in session even longer, which goes against candidate Perry's prescription for a half-time Congress.

"How can we work half time under President Perry?" Cohen asked. "We'd have to be working time and a half. And we know there's not enough money for overtime, and President Perry doesn't want us to do that, he wants us to get a separate job when we go home.

"We go back to San Antonio, we work half time as a Congressman and half time we work at WalMart," Cohen added. "That's what he's suggesting."

Perry suggested that Congress only work part time in mid-November in order to reduce Washington's power and also to save money.

Cohen spoke during debate on H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act, which would expand the requirements of federal agencies to base rules on evidence, consider less intrusive alternatives, and weigh costs and benefits more carefully. H.R. 10, likely up next week, would require Congress to approve major rules.

Republicans today said these sorts of changes are needed in light of how federal rules are stifling U.S. job creation.

"By it's own admission, the administration's 2011 regulatory agenda contains 200 regulations that typically will affect the economy by $100 million or more every year," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-NJ) said.

"For employers, the people who create jobs and pay taxes, the impact of these costly regulations is clear," he added. "Government regulation has become a barrier to economic growth and job creation."

But Ranking Judiciary Member John Conyers (D-Mich.) said these bills are an attempt to completely halt the federal rulemaking process.

"These bills are blatantly and unhesitatingly designed to slow down and even halt all federal rulemaking, thereby threatening public health and safety by undermining the agencies' ability to address a whole range of issues," he said.

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U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr.'s Letter to Attorney General Regarding Michigan Emergency Manager, December 1, 2011

Letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder from U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. requesting review of constitutionality of Michigan Public Act 4 of 2011 regarding the appointment of an Emergency Financial Manager over the City of Detroit.

U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr.'s Letter to Attorney General Regarding Michigan Emergency Manager, De...
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Regulations Do Not Kill Jobs But Save Lives

For Immediate Release
Date: Thursday, December 1, 2011
Contact: Matthew Morgan – 202-226-5543

Regulations Do Not Kill Jobs But Save Lives Today Marks the Beginning of Conservative’s Assault on Regulatory Protections    (WASHINGTON) –  Today, the House of Representatives began consideration of a series of bills aimed at disrupting the regulatory process that is responsible for protecting the health and safety of millions of Americans.  H.R. 527, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvement Act, H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act, and H.R. 10, the REINS Act all will undermine a host of regulatory protections.  These protections range from food, product and workplace safety standards to financial fraud prevention rules.  “At the end of this month, the payroll tax cut signed into law by President Obama will expire, potentially resulting in GDP growth decline and the loss of 400,000 jobs,” said Conyers.  “Without action, middle class Americans will see their taxes go up by $1000 next year. “So what is the House doing today to address this problem?  Nothing.  And what is the House doing tomorrow to make sure we don’t lose more jobs? Nothing.  “Instead, starting today and continuing into next week we will focus on so-called regulatory reform consisting of three different bills.  These bills are all aimed at making the regulatory process more costly, less efficient, and will ultimately undermine vital public health, safety, and financial fraud protections.  And despite proponents’ assertions, none of these bills will create jobs or help improve the economy. “If anything, there is an undisputable correlation between the lack of regulation in recent years and our Nation’s current economic distress and resulting employment troubles.  In particular, the recent Great Recession and ongoing home foreclosure crisis are products of the failure to adequately regulate the financial services and housing industries. “As to the impact of regulations on job creation,  not a single shred of evidence was presented over the course of five Judiciary Committee hearings on regulatory process that these bills will create even a single job. “To the contrary, regulations that promote public health and ensure the safety of American-made products unquestionably lead to job creation as the quality of our Nation’s products is one of their strongest selling points.  We are all familiar with the product safety problems within the past few years that scandalized China.  Products with hazardous health defects, ranging from baby formula to children’s toys, made it to market in China with disastrous consequences for families who unwittingly purchased them.    “Regulations that ensure the quality of U.S. goods and protect the consumer’s health strengthen, not hinder, American competitiveness in the global marketplace. “The House should be spending the last few weeks of this session considering bills that will create jobs and help the American middle class.  Instead we are considering a series of bills that will ultimately undermine public safety at home and hurt American competitiveness abroad.   The American people deserve better.”

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Conyers: Congress Must Fully Fund Fight Against HIV/AIDS Epidemic

For Immediate Release

Date: Thursday, December 1, 2011

Contact: Matthew Morgan – 202-226-5543

Conyers: Congress Must Fully Fund Fight Against HIV/AIDS Epidemic

Rise in HIV/AIDS among our youth is a national health care crisis that must be given more attention

(DETROIT) – Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement on World AIDs Day, a global health day designated to unite people in support of those living with HIV, to commemorate the lives of those who have died, and to build awareness and public support for the continuing fight against the global HIV epidemic: 

“Without a much needed increase in funding for desperately needed prevention programs targeted to our youth, there has been a sharp increase in the HIV/AIDS rate among teen-age boys and girls in our nation’s inner cities.  Congress must ensure adequate federal funding for the Ryan White Care Act so that our cities, states, and Nation have world class HIV/AIDS prevention programs.

“I have been a supporter of The Ryan White CARE Act in Congress for several years. The Ryan White program has given countless Americans access to life saving medications regardless of whether they are insured, underinsured, or uninsured.

“However, according to ADAPT, one of the nation’s leading HIV/AIDS advocacy organizations,  there are still too many people on waiting lists to receive life saving medications.  This is due to inadequate funding of the Ryan White Program.  There is no excuse for this, and I will continue to work in Congress to help ensure that every single person living with HIV/AIDS in America has access to life saving HIV/AIDS medication.

“Congress must take steps to adequately fund programs aimed at ending the transmission of this deadly disease. There are those in Congress who may say that we must reduce funding for HIV/AIDS prevention programs in order to reduce the national deficit.  I will fight any attempts to reduce funding for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs as they are too important to the health and future of our Nation.

“Tragically, there are six million people across the globe who do not have access to life saving HIV/AIDs medication.  According to the Global AIDS Alliance, with an additional $15-$30 billion dollars per year going to fight global HIV/AIDS, there would be enough funding to provide universal access for HIV/AIDS medication treatment throughout the world. This money can raised, but the world community must work together to do it.  Governments, corporations, charities, and private individuals should continue to donate research, treatment and prevention programs so that one day the world can live free of the scourge of HIV/AIDs.  The organization of this cause would be best led by President Obama.  

“Finally, I acknowledge the hard work of doctors, nurses, and social workers in the city of Detroit who are working tirelessly to make our city more hospitable for people living with HIV/AIDS.  And we cannot forget community leaders who work on education and community based HIV/AIDS programs in our schools and neighborhood centers.”

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