CONYERS Condemns Monday Night Massacre

Conyers: Trump Has Commenced a Course of Conduct that is Nixonian in its Design

Washington, DC – Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, issued the following statement in response to Trump firing Acting Attorney General Sally Yates:

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

“President Trump has commenced a course of conduct that is Nixonian in its design and execution and threatens the long-vaunted independence of the Justice Department.  If dedicated government officials deem his directives to be unlawful and unconstitutional, he will simply fire them as if government is a reality show.  I call on my colleagues, regardless of party, to condemn this executive order and the reckless firing of our chief law enforcement officer.

“I am also concerned that this decision to force Acting Attorney General Yates from her post before her successor is confirmed leaves an unacceptable gap in our law enforcement and national security capabilities. Ms. Yates was the only official of the Department of Justice currently authorized to make an application of any kind to the FISA court.  It is unacceptable to fire her and leave law enforcement and national security in the lurch.”

Shortly before Trump’s announcement to fire Yates, Ranking Member Conyers issued a statement praising Yates for her courageous act.

Conyers Praises Yates for Courageous Stand Against Immigration Order

Jan 30, 2017

Conyers: A Vote to Confirm Senator Sessions as Attorney General is a Vote for the Refugee Ban

Washington, DC – Tonight, in a letter to her senior leadership, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates ordered attorneys at the Department of Justice not to defend legal challenges to President Trump’s immigration order—which bans entry into the United States to travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries and to refugees from around the world.  Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, issued the following statement in response:

“After reviewing the facts and the law, Acting Attorney General Yates reached a conclusion shared by Americans from coast to coast—President Trump’s refugee order is neither lawful nor defensible.  It is likely unconstitutional.  It is beneath the character of the United States. 

“I am deeply proud of this act of courage and patriotism.  I hope her stand serves as an example for the men and women who continue to serve in government under President Trump.

“Before the President makes any rash decisions, I would remind him that any decision to force the Acting Attorney General from her post before her successor is confirmed would leave an unacceptable gap in our law enforcement and national security capabilities.

“And to my colleagues in the Senate, I say that you now face a clear choice.  Unless the President reverses his order, a vote to confirm Senator Sessions as Attorney General is a vote for the refugee ban. 

“The American people are watching.  They have just seen an act of integrity from our Acting Attorney General.  They expect the same from you.”

115th Congress

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House Democrats introduce legislation to block President Trump’s travel and refugee ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 160 House Democrats, led by U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) today introduced legislation to defund and rescind President Donald Trump’s executive order banning travel from Muslim countries and suspending the refugee program.

The SOLVE, or Statue of Liberty Values Act, introduced following profound confusion and fear after the implementation of an unprecedented Presidential Executive Order banning refugees and individuals from 7 majority Muslim countries. Over the weekend, Americans witnessed chaos at airports across the country as travelers, including Lawful Permanent Residents, children, and elderly persons were denied entry to the United States. 

Put simply, this Executive Order is bad policy and it makes our country less safe, and a growing chorus of foreign policy experts has condemned Trump’s Muslim and refugee ban as disastrous for U.S. foreign policy and national security.

“Donald Trump has recklessly instituted an executive order rooted in Islamophobia and xenophobia,” said Conyers. “It rationalizes fear mongering and is an unprecedented break with America’s humanitarian tradition, targeting the most vulnerable population in the world – refugees. What makes it even worse is that instead of making us safer, this order has the potential to bolster recruitment for terrorist groups. Today, I’m proud to cosponsor the SOLVE Act which would rescind this disastrous policy.”

“As a nation of immigrants that has been a refuge for people from around the world, these actions are contrary to who we are as a nation,” said Lofgren. “Trump’s Order not only harms our families and our economy, it betrays our core values and it makes us less safe. The Statute of Liberty Values Act states that President Trump’s Executive Order will have no effect or force of law and states that no funds or fees shall be used to implement the Order.”

Conyers is Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Lofgren is the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee.

The Solve Act of 2017 - "On the Executive Order of Banning U.S. Entry by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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Top Judiciary, Foreign Affairs & Homeland Security Democrats Call Meeting With Homeland Security Secretary, Raise Concerns Over Immigration Executive Order

Washington, DC – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), and House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly to raise concerns about President Donald Trump’s recent immigration executive order and urge for a joint meeting as soon as possible and in no event later than February 1.

TOP HOUSE JUDICIARY, FOREIGN AFFAIRS & HOMELAND SECURITY DEMOCRATS CALL FOR MEETING WITH HOMELAND SECURITY... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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CONYERS, KILDEE, DINGELL & LAWRENCE: TRUMP IMMIGRATION ORDER REPRESENTS “UNPRECEDENTED BREAK WITH AMERICA’S HUMANITARIAN TRADITION”

Members Stand United Against Divisive Efforts

Washington, DC -Today, President Trump issued an executive order drastically altering our refugee and visa system. In response, Representatives John Conyers, Jr. (MI-14), Dan Kildee (MI-5), Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and Brenda Lawrence (MI-14) issued the following joint statement:

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

“By seeking to halt all refugee admissions in the short term, and slash the number of refugee admissions to a modern historic low, today’s order betrays our proud heritage as a Nation of immigrants and a place of refuge.   And by banning all visas and admissions from exclusively Muslim-majority nations, this order constitutes a thinly veiled ban on entry based on religion, betraying America’s cardinal commitment to freedom of belief. 

“Throughout our history our Nation has granted safe haven to families fleeing persecution, violence, terror, sexual slavery, and torture.  In doing so we have not only acted morally, but we have added to our own strength, vitality and diversity. Unfortunately, the order issued by Mr. Trump today represents an unprecedented break with our humanitarian tradition and role as a beacon of freedom. 

 “As Members of Congress, we take a back seat to no one in our Nation’s efforts to combat the ongoing threat of terrorism.  That is why our refugee system already extensively vets and confirms every individual seeking entry to our country, subjecting them to a series of security screenings and checking against multiple law enforcement data bases.  But giving in to our worst fears -- as this order does -- will do nothing to make America safer or weaken our adversaries.  This is why we stand united in our opposition to these efforts to divide us, and pledge to work together to reject intolerance, discrimination, and hate however and wherever we can – whether in our communities, in Congress, or in the Courts.”

The executive order issued today by President Trump would, among other things: (i) halt for 90 days all visas and admissions of noncitizens from a number of Muslim-majority countries (Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen); (ii) enact a 120 day ban on all refugees from entering the United States and shut down the Syrian refugee program indefinitely; (iii) reduce by more than half the ceiling for worldwide refugee admissions;  (iv) impose a potential “Values Test” against immigrants seeking entry into the United States.

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TOP JUDICIARY DEMOCRAT & CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR CALL FOR TRUMP’S VOTER FRAUD INVESTIGATION TO BE COMPLETED BY NONPARTISAN INDEPENDENT PANEL; REQUEST INVESTIGATION INCLUDE VOTER SUPPRESSION

Washington, DC – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) wrote to President Donald Trump to urge that if an investigation must be completed in regards to Trump’s voter fraud allegations, that it be completed by a non-partisan independent body and that the investigation also focus on voter suppression in the wake of the 2013 Supreme Court Shelby v. Holder decision.

In their letter, the Members wrote, “If you insist on conducting an investigation of these issues, we would request that it be performed by an independent and non-partisan body, and that it be fully transparent.  We would also request that the investigation not only consider your claims of voter fraud, but review the ongoing problem of voter suppression and examine the impact of the weakening of the Voting Rights Act following the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder in 2013.” 

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

“As the only Member in the Congress who was present when the Voting Rights Act was first enacted in 1965, and as a Member who has devoted his entire career to the cause of protecting voting rights, I was shocked to learn that even after taking the oath of office as President, Mr. Trump would choose to spread untruths and misinformation concerning allegations of voter fraud,” said Ranking Member Conyers.  “Repeated investigations have failed to uncover material issues in federal elections. There is, however, evidence of extensive voter suppression practices aimed at minority voters, which is backed up by active litigation.”

“Blood, sweat, and tears have been shed to ensure every voice would be heard in the democratic process,” said Chair Richmond. “Yet, the right to vote has been continually trampled on for the most vulnerable citizens throughout our history. Any investigation into the validity of the voting process should have preventing voter suppression at its core.”

I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017

even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017

POTUS Letter on VF Allegations - CBCJudiciary by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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CONYERS Reintroduces Single Payer Health Care Bill

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) reintroduced H.R. 676, “The Expanded And Improved Medicare For All Act.” This bill would establish a privately-delivered, publicly-financed universal health care system, where patients, their physicians, and non-profit health care providers would be in charge of medical decisions -- not insurance companies. H.R. 676 would expand and improve the highly popular Medicare program and provide universal access to care to all Americans. The program would be primarily funded by a modest payroll tax on employers and employees, a financial transaction tax, and higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

Congressman Conyers issued the following statement on the reintroduction of the bill:

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

“It’s my pleasure to once again reintroduce H.R. 676, ‘The Expanded And Improved Medicare For All Act,’ in the 115th Congress. I have introduced the bill in each Congress since 2003 and I will continue to do so until the bill is passed.

“Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was a step in the right direction. It has provided health insurance to millions of our nation’s uninsured and eliminated many of the worst practices of the private health insurance industry. Rather than repealing it and taking a step back, we should build on that progress by expanding Medicare to All.

“The data is clear that simply expanding Medicare to all Americans to create a single-payer system would be far more efficient. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. spends more than 17% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare, while countries with single-payer systems like France, Germany, Canada, the UK, and Australia spend 9-11% of GDP. In addition to paying a fraction of what we do for healthcare, those countries enjoy better outcomes and higher satisfaction than in the United States.

“Single-payer isn’t just the moral thing to do or a good government issue, it’s what Americans want. Many leading health care practitioners and experts share my belief and that of most Americans that establishing a non-profit universal health care system would be the best way to effectively contain health care costs and provide quality care for all Americans. I look forward to my colleagues joining me in supporting a universal, single-payer health care system.”

H.R.676 has been introduced in Congress since 2003, and has a broad base of support among universal health care activists, organized labor, physicians, nurses, and social justice organizations across the nation. The bill has been endorsed by 20 international unions, Physicians For A National Health Program, two former editors of the New England Journal of Medicine, National Nurses United, the American Medical Students Association, Progressive Democrats of America, Public Citizen, and the NAACP. Last year, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found 67 percent of Americans support “Medicare for All.”

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CONYERS on Trump’s Voter Fraud Claims: Let’s Focus On Facts

Conyers on Trump’s Voter Fraud Claims: Let’s Focus On Facts

Washington, DC – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) today released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s statements on voter fraud:

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

“As the only Member in the Congress who was present when the Voting Rights Act was first enacted in 1965, and as a Member who has devoted his entire career to the cause of protecting voting rights, I was shocked to learn that even after taking the oath of office as President, Mr. Trump would choose to spread untruths and misinformation concerning allegations of voter fraud.  Repeated investigations have failed to uncover material issues in federal elections. There is, however, evidence of extensive voter suppression practices aimed at minority voters, which is backed up by active litigation.  At this point in his term, the President should focus on facts and get on with the serious business of government, rather than relying on discredited conspiracy theories.”

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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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CONYERS: OBAMA LEAVES BEHIND A LEGACY OF GREATNESS (Photos)

I’m honored to have been able to witness President Barack Obama take the oath of office – not once, but twice - during my lifetime. 

He broke barriers when he became our first African-American president and he has continued to break records throughout his presidency. President Obama has worked tirelessly everyday on behalf of our country. He took office at a time when our country was teetering on the edge of economic collapse. 

When the auto industry was on the brink of collapse, President Obama stepped in, saving millions of jobs up and down the supply chain. Under his leadership, our nation has been pulled out of the Greatest Recession since the Great Depression, more than 18 million previously uninsured Americans now have health insurance, Dodd-Frank has minimized the threats to financial stability, and he has commuted more sentences of prisoners who were victims of unjust sentencing, than any other President. President Obama is leaving behind a lasting legacy of greatness. 

Not only has he inspired generations of Americans to reach for the stars and go after their dreams, he has broken many barriers throughout his administration, continued to push limits and move our nation forward.

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CONYERS: OBAMA LEAVES BEHIND A LEGACY OF GREATNESS

Detroit, MI – Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) today released the following statement:

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

“I’m honored to have been able to witness President Barack Obama take the oath of office – not once, but twice - during my lifetime.  He broke barriers when he became our first African-American president and he has continued to break records throughout his presidency.

“President Obama has worked tirelessly everyday on behalf of our country. He took office at a time when our country was teetering on the edge of economic collapse. When the auto industry was on the brink of collapse, President Obama stepped in, saving millions of jobs up and down the supply chain. Under his leadership, our nation has been pulled out of the Greatest Recession since the Great Depression, more than 18 million previously uninsured Americans now have health insurance, Dodd-Frank has minimized the threats to financial stability, and he has commuted more sentences of prisoners who were victims of unjust sentencing, than any other President.

“President Obama is leaving behind a lasting legacy of greatness. Not only has he inspired generations of Americans to reach for the stars and go after their dreams, he has broken many barriers throughout his administration, continued to push limits and move our nation forward.”

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AHEAD OF CLASSIFIED BRIEFING ON RUSSIAN HACKING, HOUSE JUDICIARY DEMS PRESS COMEY TO PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE INVESTIGATION & RELEASE DOCS TO COMMITTEE

Washington, DC – Today, ahead of a classified briefing by the Intelligence Community on attempts by the Russian government to influence the last election, all House Judiciary Democrats, led by Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) sent a letter urging FBI Director James Comey to publicly acknowledge the existence of an investigation into President-elect Trump and his associates--and to release copies of all relevant investigative materials regarding the investigation to the House Judiciary Committee, in the same way it did after its investigation of Secretary Clinton's private email server.

The 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), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).

U.S. House Judiciary Democrats Letter to FBI Director Comey On Trump Investigation (1.13.17) by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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CONYERS Joins Terri Sewell For The Celebration Of The Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument

Glad to join Terri A. Sewell for this celebration of the Birmingham #CivilRights National Monument. We must do everything in our power to protect African American history & culture!

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Ryan Calls Ferguson Painting ‘Disgusting’

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan is siding with his party and wants the painting of police-community relations in Ferguson, Missouri, that depicts police officers and others as animals to be taken down.

“This is disgusting and it’s not befitting the Capitol,” Ryan said Thursday on “The Mike Gallagher Show,” adding that “this isn’t a question of First Amendment rights.”

Missouri Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay, who sponsored the painting and has consistently fought for it, fired back.

- See more at: http://www.rollcall.com/news/hoh/speaker-ryan-calls-ferguson-painting-disgusting#sthash.XZSTPBZ0.dpuf


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CONYERS & CUMMINGS APPLAUD INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATION OF FBI ACTIONS BEFORE 2016 ELECTION

Washington, D.C. - Today, Reps. John Conyers, Jr. and Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Members of the House Committees on Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform, released the following statement after the U.S. Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced they will conduct an immediate investigation into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) actions before the 2016 election:

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

“Our citizens must be able to trust that the FBI, our chief federal law enforcement agency, is non-partisan and does not insert itself into the electoral process.  We are pleased that the Inspector General is following up on our request to investigate and review these allegations and look forward to receiving a full review of these matters.” 

On November 4, 2016, Conyers and Cummings wrote to the DOJ Inspector General asking that they launch an investigation to determine the source of multiple unauthorized—and often inaccurate—leaks from within the FBI to benefit the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. You can view the letter here.

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Read the Scathing 1986 Letter Coretta Scott King Wrote Opposing Sessions’ Federal Nomination

Coretta Scott King’s nine-page letter blasted Jeff Sessions' nomination to be a federal judge, saying that the then-U.S. attorney’s “politically-motivated voting-fraud prosecutions to his indifference toward criminal violations of civil rights law, indicates that he lacks the temperament, fairness and judgment to be a federal judge.”

Coretta Scott King Letter and Testimony on Nomination of Jeff Sessions 1986 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2017/01/read-the-scathing-1986-letter-coretta-scott-king-wrote-opposing-jeff-sessions-federal-nomination/

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CONYERS & JOHNSON RELEASE STATEMENTS & JUDICIARY DEM FACT SHEET ON GOP ANTI-REGULATORY AGENDA & WISH LIST FOR BIG BUSINESS

Washington, DC – During the first weeks of the 115^th Congress, Republicans are choosing to prioritize a series of anti-regulation bills that would empower Republicans to strip critical protections away from Americans. H.R. 5, the so-called Regulatory Accountability Act, would grind the rulemaking system to a halt while inviting regulatory capture through increased input from corporate interests, waste agency resources and taxpayer dollars, and do nothing to directly help small businesses. In doing so, H.R. 5 would seriously undermine critical protections across every regulated industry, including consumers’ health and product safety, environmental protections, workplace safety, and consumer financial protections.

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Ranking Member Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA) today released the following statements:

  

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

“Instead of wasting time on bad solutions for non-existent problems, we should be working tirelessly across party lines to find solutions to crushing student loan debt, gun violence, unemployment and stagnant wages,” said Conyers. “Unfortunately, House Republicans refuse to work on a bipartisan basis to reduce barriers to employment, even in the context of their anti-regulatory legislation. These same Republicans also refuse to work with Democrats on commonsense amendments to their legislation that would ensure that protections that create jobs and ensure the safety of our food, water and air are not undermined.”

Conyers continued, “Instead of working to support corporate interests through the GOP anti-regulatory agenda, Congress must focus on finding real solutions to real problems facing the nation, such as middle-class economic opportunity, gun violence prevention, the erosion of voting rights, and growing economic inequality.” 

“Once again, House Republicans' only ideas for growing the economy and creating jobs is to endanger countless regulatory protections under the guise of a so-called ‘jobs bill.’ They choose to ignore the fact that 15.6 million private sector jobs were created under the robust regulatory environment under the Obama administration,” said Johnson. “According to a recent Bloomberg report, only 0.3 percent of jobs eliminated last year were due to government regulation, far less than those lost due to other factors such as outsourcing and automation.”

On the House Judiciary Committee alone, House Republicans have held 33 anti-regulation hearings since the start of the 112th Congress, but not a single hearing in the 114^th or 115^thCongress on:

• Gun violence;
• Voting rights;
• The impact of overwhelming student loan debt on families and the economy;
• The mortgage foreclosure crisis, which still is hampering the economic recovery of millions of American families; or
• How we can better help struggling American families regain their financial stability.

A full fact sheet on H.R. 5 and the GOP Big Business Agenda is below.

FACT SHEET: GOP’S ANTI-REGULATORY AGENDA IS ONLY A “BETTER WAY” FOR BIG BUSINESS, NOT WORKING AMERICANS by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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CONYERS Floor Statement In Opposition To The So-Called "Regulatory Accountability Act 2017

OPENING STATEMENT

I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 5, the “Regulatory Accountability Act.”

           

Under the guise of improving the regulatory process, H.R. 5 will, in truth, undermine that process and jeopardize the ability of government agencies to safeguard public health and safety, the environment, workplace safety, and consumer financial protections. 

The ways in which this legislation accomplishes this result are almost too numerous to list here, but I will mention a few. 

For example, title I of the bill would impose more than 70 new analytical requirements that will add years to the rulemaking process. 

Worse yet, many of these new requirements are intended to facilitate the ability of regulated entities -- such as well-funded corporate interests -- to intervene and derail regulatory protections they oppose. 

And, it would function as a “super mandate,” overriding critical laws that Congress specifically intended to prohibit agencies from considering costs when American lives are at stake. 

Additionally, the bill creates numerous procedural hurdles in the rulemaking process, further endangering American lives through years of delay and increasing the likelihood of regulatory capture. 

For example, H.R. 5 dramatically expands the use of formal rulemaking, a time- and resource-intensive process, requiring formal trial-like hearings for certain rules.

Formal rulemaking has long been roundly rejected for good cause as being excessively costly and ill-suited for complex policy issues. 

The Administrative Section of the American Bar Association noted that “these provisions run directly contrary to a virtual consensus in the administrative law community that the Administrative Procedure Act formal rulemaking procedure is obsolete.” 

I am also concerned that H.R. 5 would impose an arbitrary one-size-fits-all 6-month delay on virtually every new rule.

Specifically, title V of the bill will prohibit agency rules from becoming effective until the information required by the bill has been available online for 6 months, with only limited exception. 

Clearly, H.R. 5 fails to take into account a vast array of time-sensitive rules ranging from the mundane -- such as the frequent U.S. Coast Guard bridge closings regulations -- to those that protect public health and safety, such as forthcoming updates to the Lead and Copper Rule by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce lead in public drinking water.

Finally, title II of H.R. 5 would eliminate judicial deference to agencies and require federal courts to review all agency rulemakings and interpretations of statutes on a de novo basis.

The unfortunate result of this requirement is that the bill would empower a generalist court to override the determinations of agency experts, regardless of the judge’s technical knowledge and understanding of the underlying subject matter.

By eliminating any deference to agencies, H.R. 5 would force agencies to adopt even moredetailed factual records and explanations, which would further delay the finalization of critical life-saving regulatory protections.

The Supreme Court has recognized that federal courts simply lack the subject-matter expertise of agencies, are politically unaccountable, and should not engage in making substantive determinations from the bench.

It is ironic that those who have long decried “judicial activism” now support facilitating a greater role for the judiciary in agency rulemaking.

These are just a few of the many serious concerns presented by H.R. 5 and, accordingly, I urge my colleagues to oppose this dangerous legislation and I reserve the balance of my time.

CLOSING REMARKS

I oppose H.R. 5 because it is based on the faulty premise that environmental and public safety protections kill jobs, result in economically stifling costs, and promote uncertainty.

This bill would not create a single job.  During the series of hearings and markups held on this anti-regulatory legislation in previous congresses, not one shred of evidence emerged indicating that this bill would create jobs.

To the contrary, the Majority’s own witness, Christopher DeMuth, appearing on behalf of the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, debunked this argument, stating that focusing on jobs “can lead to confusion in regulatory debates” and that the employment effects of regulatory protections “are indeterminate.”

In sharp contrast to the misguided approach of H.R. 5, regulatory protections that ensure the safety of American-made products unquestionably foster job creation and protect the competitiveness of our businesses in the global marketplace. 

This explains why more than 150 organizations strongly oppose this dangerous legislation, including:

·                     Americans for Financial Reform

·                     The American Lung Association

·                     Consumers Union

·                     The Humane Society of the United States

·                     The League of Conservation Voters

·                     Public Citizen

·                     The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

·                     Earthjustice

·                     The Coalition for Sensible Safeguards

·                     The American Public Health Association

·                     The Environmental Defense Action Fund

·                     The Center for American Progress, and

·                     The Trust for America’s Health.

The American people deserve better than H.R. 5. 

We need legislation that creates middle class financial security and opportunity.

           

We need sensible regulations that protect American families from economic ruin and that bring predatory financial practices to an end.

We need workplace safety protections that ensure hardworking Americans who go to work each day without having to risk their lives as a result of hazardous work environments.

Unfortunately, H.R. 5 does nothing to advance any of these critical goals. 

I must therefore oppose H.R. 5 and I yield back the balance of my time.

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