CONYERS Lauds House Passage of Bill to Help Combat Opioid Epidemic & Save Lives

Conyers: “This Legislation Has the Power to Fortify America’s Fight against the Opioid Abuse Epidemic”

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13), today applauded House passage of H.R. 5046, the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016 which passed by a vote of 413-5. The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016 authorizes $103 million per year from Fiscal Year 2017 through 2021 for the creation of the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program. The program would provide competitive grants to states and local governments to expand services that address the growing rate of opioid abuse and overdose deaths.

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

“I’m pleased the House passed this important legislation which is intended to help state and local governments pursue a broad-based approach against the current crisis of heroin and opioid abuse,” said Ranking Member Conyers. “The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016 is a positive step in the right direction to address the opioid epidemic.  I am heartened that the bill embraces innovative approaches to drug abuse, such as treatment alternatives to incarceration, and I look forward to continued work in Congress so that we may soon enact legislation that comprehensively addresses this issue.”

Opioid overdose is now a leading cause of death in the United States. On average, 78 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day. In 2014 alone, more than 1,745 people died from drug overdoses in Michigan.

The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016 would help states and local governments provide educational services, treatment and prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, as well as programs to prevent and address juvenile opioid abuse. The legislation would also help expand the use of opioid overdose reversal drugs; and help coordinate services amongst service providers.

Ranking Member Conyers spoke on the House floor in support of the legislation shortly before it passed the House. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

Statement of the Honorable John Conyers, Jr. in Support of H.R. 5046, the “Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016”

Learn more: BEVERLY TRAN: Statement of the Honorable John Conyers, Jr. in Support of H.R. 5046, the “Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016” http://beverlytran.blogspot.com/2016/05/statement-of-honorable-john-conyers-jr_12.html#ixzz48aklq6mA
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REP. CONYERS & SEN. WARREN LEAD MORE THAN 125 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN CALLING FOR DIVERSITY AT FEDERAL RESERVE BANK

Letter Expresses Concern That Lack of Representation Could Harm Job Creation in Communities of Color

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13), the Dean of the Congress and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter signed by 127 Members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, urging the Federal Reserve to prioritize diversity in its leadership and to focus its attention on the high rates of unemployment in communities of color across the country.

Addressed to Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, the letter calls attention to the lack of diversity across the Federal Reserve system. The letter is the latest effort by Rep. Conyers and his Full Employment Caucus to focus attention on the impact of the Federal Reserve’s policies on communities of color. Last September, Rep. Conyers and the Full Employment Caucus introduced H.R. 3541, the Full Employment Federal Reserve Act, which instructs the Federal Reserve to target a 4 percent unemployment rate nationally. 

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

“Far too often, the voices of minorities are silenced because they aren’t sitting at the table,” said Congressman Conyers. “The Federal Reserve needs leadership that models the diversity that exists in this Nation. Detroit and cities across the country with high minority populations have some of the highest unemployment rates and will be harmed if the Federal Reserve does not consider our needs when they make key policy decisions. Increasing diversity at the Federal Reserve will help ensure that the needs of people of color, women, labor, and consumers are part of the crucial conversations at our nation’s central bank.”

Currently, 11 of the 12 regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents are white and 10 of the 12 are men. Not a single regional Bank president is African American or Latino and no African-American has ever served as president of a regional Bank in the history of the Federal Reserve System. This year, all voting members of the interest rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) are white.

A recent study found that just 53 percent of Detroiters ages 16-64 are employed, well below the national average of 75 percent. When the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to slow inflation, it necessarily slows job creation and wage growth, which some argue is problematic for communities of color that have not yet fully received the benefits of the economic recovery.

In 2010, Federal Reserve meeting minutes show no discussion of the African-American unemployment rate, even as it reached 15.5 percent that year. In their letter, the Members wrote, “When the voices of women, African-Americans, Latinos, and representatives of consumers and labor are excluded from key discussions, their interests are too often neglected.”

Noting the current African-American unemployment rate of 8.8 percent, which is more than double the rate for Whites, the Members continued, “By fostering genuine full employment, the Federal Reserve can help combat discrimination and dramatically reduce the disproportionate unemployment faced by minority populations…employment discrimination against women and minorities decreases as our economy approaches full employment. The data is unambiguous: even when comparing workers with the same levels of education, African-American workers face higher unemployment rates and are paid less than their white counterparts, women make less than their male counterparts, and women of color are particularly disadvantaged.”

The letter is signed by 116 Members of the U.S. House, including Members of the Congressional Full Employment Caucus, which Rep. Conyers founded and jointly chairs with Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and Frederica Wilson (D-FL); as well as nearly every member of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The letter is also signed by 11 U.S. Senators.

U.S. Representative John Conyers and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren Letter To The Federal Reserve On Diversi... by Beverly Tran

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Statement of the Honorable John Conyers, Jr. in Support of H.R. 5046, the “Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016”

I am pleased to rise in support of H.R. 5046, the “Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016.” H.R. 5046 is an important complement to a wide-range of legislation being considered in the House this week that is aimed at combating the devastating impact of drug abuse and addiction that is afflicting communities across our Nation.  

We are in the midst of a major public health crisis caused by prescription and opioid abuse.  It is a crisis that affects Americans of all ages, races, and income levels in our cities, suburbs, and rural areas across the United States. 

Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in our Nation. In my state of Michigan, for example, there were 1,745 drug overdose deaths in 2014.  And, more than half of those overdose deaths were attributed to opioids and heroin.

In fact, 78 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day. I am very familiar with the devastation heroin can exact over people and their communities.

Heroin took a deadly toll on Detroit in the 1970’s and is now threatening to take hold of a new generation of addicts.  Armed with lessons learned from that era and the crack epidemic of the 1980’s, we are wiser and more capable. This time, we can and must do more to respond to this crisis.

Fortunately, a number of states have undertaken various innovative measures to better respond to the rapid increase of individuals addicted to prescription opioids and heroin and to prevent individuals from dying as a result of drug overdose.

For instance, the Judiciary Committee’s Crime Subcommittee held a hearing last year that examined, among other things, the promising use of the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion approach employed in cities such as Seattle and Santa Fe.

We have learned that there are successful ways to get addicts to treatment and to provide them with needed services quickly that help to address their addiction and prevent recidivism. 

And, we know that evidence-based treatment and treatment alternatives to incarceration work.

The Comprehensive Opioid Addiction Recovery Program, as authorized by H.R. 5046, would establish a competitive grant program to provide funds to state and local governments to continue and improve their efforts to protect Americans from the dangers of opioid and heroin abuse and to make sure that addicts have access to the services that are provided.

Funds from the new grant program could be used for the following purposes:

·         Treatment alternatives to incarceration.

·         Collaboration between state criminal justice agencies and state substance abuse systems.

·         For first responders to purchase and be trained in using Naloxone.

·         Medication assisted treatment programs by criminal justice agencies.

·         Investigating the illegal distribution of opioids.

·         Prescription drug monitoring programs.

·         Addressing juvenile opioid abuse.

·         And for comprehensive opioid abuse response programs. 

Our communities need our assistance in meeting the threat of opioid abuse, and this bill will fund innovative approaches to the problem, such as the LEAD program developed in Seattle that I mentioned earlier.  

H.R. 5046 would go a long ways toward providing that critical help.

Accordingly, I support this bill and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Statement of the Honorable John Conyers, Jr. for the Hearing on “Executive Overreach in Foreign Affairs” Before the Executive Overreach Task Force

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

The issue of the appropriate roles of Congress and the President with respect to the subject of foreign affairs is certainly worthy of a genuinely substantive discussion.

For instance, we could consider whether our Nation’s current military operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have been properly authorized by Congress.

Unfortunately, however, today’s hearing – like the prior Task Force hearings – is yet another thinly veiled attack against the current Administration. 

To begin with, neither the Iran nuclear agreement nor the Paris climate change agreement is a “treaty” within the meaning of the Constitution’s Treaty Clause that requires  Senate consent.

The Paris climate change agreement, for example, contains no mandatory quantitative emission reductions.  Rather, it is a strong exhortation that parties take concrete, transparent, but, ultimately, self-directed steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Contrary to the assertions of some, this agreement does not contain legally-binding requirements, nor does it purport to grant new authority to the President to meet any such requirements.

In short, it does not meet the traditional criteria of a “treaty” within the meaning of the Treaty Clause.

And, the Iran agreement was a set of political commitments rather than legally-binding requirements.  Thus, it also was not constitutionally required to be subject to Senate approval.

In addition, both agreements are consistent with existing United States law. 

For instance, the statutes imposing sanctions on Iran for its nuclear weapons program also give the President the discretion to remove these sanctions should certain criteria be met.

And, the Paris climate agreement was reached pursuant to a 1992 climate change treaty that the Senate had already ratified.  In other words, the Paris agreement is consistent with the obligations created by a treaty that, under the Supremacy Clause, was already the law of the land.

Finally, as Professor Stephen Vladeck, the Minority witness, correctly notes, arguments questioning the legality of these agreements are part of an ongoing attempt to paint policy disputes as constitutional matters.

Whatever one thinks about the merits of either the Iran nuclear agreement or the Paris climate agreement, the Constitution and historical practice make clear that the President was within his authority to enter into them.

           

At any rate, Congress already had the opportunity to make its voice heard. With respect to the Iran nuclear agreement, Congress had the chance to disapprove the agreement, but opponents of the agreement failed to obtain the necessary votes to prevent the agreement from taking effect.

And, as I noted, the Senate long ago ratified the climate change treaty pursuant to which the Paris agreement was entered.

Rather than sparking enlightened discussion, today’s hearing, I fear, appears to be yet another in a long string of partisan exercises by this Task Force. 

Nevertheless, I thank the witnesses for appearing today and I look forward to hearing their testimony.

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Conyers Applauds White House Police Data Initiative

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Obama Administration announced that 53 jurisdictions—including Detroit, MI—have committed to Police Data Initiative (PDI). As part of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, the White House launched PDI as a community of practices aiming to improve the relationship between citizens and police through uses of data that increase transparency, build community trust, and strengthen accountability.

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) applauded the President’s Police Data Initiative with the following statement:

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

“Data collection is a critical component of law enforcement management and oversight.  Dating back to the Traffic Stops Statistics Study Act, we have sought federal data collection as part of means of improving law enforcement management, oversight and transparency.  This initiative represents a commitment by the federal government and major law enforcement agencies to lead the way in developing best practices for eventual use by all agencies.”

Conyers noted that, “Following the lead set by the White House, I hope that Congress can pass legislation to fully authorize programs like those highlighted by Policing Task Force as part of our Judiciary Committee Criminal Justice Initiative.  The full authorization of police practice programs will send the signal that the entire federal government has a long term commitment to developing concrete strategies that build community trust and security.”

Ranking Member Conyers is the sponsor of the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act (H.R. 2875), legislation designed to provide incentives for local police organizations to voluntarily adopt performance-based standards to enhance both agency operation and community accountability.

LAW ENFORCEMENT TRUST AND INTEGRITY ACT SUMMARY by Beverly Tran

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Conyers Commends VA Governor McAuliffe on Restoration of Ex-Offender Voting Rights

Washington, D.C. – Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced that he used his executive authority to restore the voting rights of more than 200,000 ex-offenders. As a result, ex-offenders in Virginia who are not in prison, on probation or parole will be permitted to register and vote in the upcoming presidential election.  House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), commended his actions with the following statement:

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

“The actions of Governor McAuliffe are a welcome example of the importance of expanding voting rights at a time when many throughout the nation are experiencing an increase in barriers to the ballot box.  Denying voting rights to ex-offenders robs them of the opportunity to fully participate and contribute to their society.  This gesture of faith to the ex-offender community can serve as an inspiration to both their families and wider communities about the necessity of speaking to the government through the ballot.”

Conyers observed that, “The challenge we face today is not ballot integrity, but the need to expand opportunities around the franchise, so that voting is fairly and equally open to all Americans.  Far too many have been denied the right to vote, even long years after paying their debt to society.  Disenfranchisement laws isolate and alienate ex-offenders, and have been shown to serve as one more obstacle in their attempt to successfully reintegrate into society.  I hope that the example of Virginia starts a trend for the remaining states in the nation that still have barriers to ex-offender voting.”

Ranking Member Conyers is a long-standing champion of the Democracy Restoration Act of 2015 (H.R. 1459), which was re-introduced this Congress. This legislation would create uniform federal standards for returning the voting rights of ex-offenders to vote in federal elections. 

Democracy Restoration Act of 2015 by Beverly Tran

Section-By-Section of HR 1459 the Democracy Restoration Act by Beverly Tran

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Conyers Calls for Real Action to Restore Detroit Public Schools

DETROIT – Yesterday, the Michigan House of Representatives introduced a package of bills that is intended to fix the financial problems being faced by Detroit Public Schools. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) issued the following statement after the proposed legislation passed the Michigan House:

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

“The legislative proposal put forward by the Michigan House is unserious and regrettable.  It continues to pursue the failed model that has brought us to this precipice: it denies students the resources they need to learn and educators the conditions they need to teach.  After the Michigan Senate worked out a deal all sides could work with, it is distressing to see our state representatives offering nothing more than austerity cloaked in the language of reform.

“Everyday, our schools struggle to educate children who come to school hungry for the lives and futures that too many take for granted.  That the majority of Michigan House members cannot even overcome their own selfish interests tells us where real reform is needed.

“I am calling on Governor Snyder to stand up to the fringes of his party, and with my state colleagues--Republicans and Democrats--who put the public good ahead of their own ideological crusades. The Governor must announce he would veto the House bills if presented before him, and show Michiganders that the children in Detroit should have the same opportunities as their Representatives want for their own children.”

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