Conyers Praises Affordable Care Act for Reducing Premiums in Michigan

(WASHINGTON) – Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report finding that individuals in Michigan who selected Silver Plans - the most popular plan under the Affordable Care Act - with tax credits paid an average premium of $87 per month. In Michigan, 62% of enrollees who selected Affordable Care Act plans with tax credits had premiums of $100 per month or less, and 39% paid $50 per month or less after tax credits. After the report was made public, Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“With the release of a report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) checking up on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), we have further evidence that healthcare reform is working, and saving Americans hundreds of dollars on their premiums. In Michigan alone, an individual who purchased a Silver Plan – the most popular option – paid an average premium of $87 each month with tax credits. Millions of Americans who were previously unable to obtain health insurance are now able to take comfort in the security that comprehensive coverage affords,” said Conyers.

“According to the HHS report, the average monthly premium for Michiganders dropped by 72% - from $342 to $97 per month - for those who selected plans with tax credits. The report highlights that reforms in the Affordable Care Act have saved consumers nearly $1.2 billion in 2012, and details how the number of requests by insurance companies for double-digit rate increases has been cut by more than half. In addition, as health insurance companies are now required to spend 80 cents or more per premium dollar on healthcare or provide consumers a refund, more than 222,000 Michiganders have received a total of $18,609,800 in refunds.

“The Affordable Care Act’s passage was historic, and the results are in: healthcare reform has reduced costs and increased healthcare access to all. As the calls ‘repeal and replace’ wane, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to bolster the Affordable Care Act’s protections and work towards truly universal healthcare.”

To read the HHS report online, visit: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2014/Premiums/2014MktPlacePremBrf.pdf

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Conyers: “Judiciary Republicans Approve Bill to Spend Billions Reviewing All Federal Regulations”

SCRUB Act Another Conservative Attempt to Wipe Away Health & Safety Protections

(WASHINGTON) – Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee Markup of H.R. 4874, the “Search for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2014.” Section 101(K) of the bill funds a new Retrospective Regulatory Review Commission by taking $ 25 million or 1%, whichever is greater, of unobligated funding from federal agencies.Under any methodology this figure would reach into the billions. After voting against H.R. 4874, Ranking Members John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“This morning, my conservative colleagues on the Judiciary Committee continued their anti-regulatory push with the ‘SCRUB Act.’ While I strongly oppose the legislation, I do think that the bill is aptly-named; as the title implies, this legislation would do away with life-saving consumer and regulatory protections. This Markup is simply another installment in the Majority’s ideological agenda that prioritizes corporate profits over public health and safety,” said Conyers.

“The ‘SCRUB Act’ will siphon billions of dollars from agency coffers to finance a review of all existing regulations. Not only would this effort be costly, but it would divert needed agency funds into an unnecessary bureaucratic accounting project. Further, by simply focusing on the costs of federal safeguards, my Republican colleagues fail to account for the countless benefits of these protections. From food inspections, to guaranteeing that our air and water are clean, the government plays a major role in ensuring the public’s well-being.

“The SCRUB Act also takes a zero sum approach to protecting American’s health and safety by requiring that any new regulation, no matter how essential or beneficial, be offset by the repeal of an existing regulation. This could force agencies to make a false choice between existing protections and responding to new  threats to our health, safety, or food security.

“Rather than promote a regulatory race-to-the-bottom, Congress should work to reinforce existing protections and shore up agency’s insufficient funding after years of budget austerity. Dismantling our highly-effective regulatory regime to fund a review of these safeguards is simply nonsensical and counterproductive. We have long since left the lawless days of the Wild West; I encourage House Republicans to do the same.”

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Ranking Member Conyers Statement at Markup of the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act

(WASHINGTON) – Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee Markup of H.R. 3086, the “Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act,” and H.R. 4874, the “Search for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2014.” During his opening remarks on H.R. 3086, Ranking Members John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) delivered the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“H.R. 3086, the ‘Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act,’ addresses the impending expiration of the Internet Tax Freedom Act. Enacted in 1998, ITFA was intended to be a temporary moratorium to nurture the Internet in its infancy.  It did so by prohibiting multiple and discriminatory taxation of the Internet as well new taxes on Internet access. Although Congress has extended this moratorium on 3 prior occasions, it is now due to expire in November of this year.

“As we consider this legislation, there are several points that we should keep in mind. To begin with, today’s Internet is very different than the Internet of 1998, and the reasons that initially warranted a moratorium simply no longer apply. Today’s Internet has gone mainstream.  It has provided a platform for innovation, created entirely new industries, and improved countless services. It is no longer primarily accessed through a dial-up service from a few providers. Instead most Americans have several options from cable to DSL to fiber optics, from satellite services to wireless services. The Internet is no longer a nascent idea in need of federal tax protection to grow.  It is now a prosperous sector of the global economy.

“Yet, in those states that were exempted under the ITFA’s grandfather clause and allowed to continue to tax Internet access, studies show that there is no difference in the rates of household Internet access between states that tax Internet access and those states that do not tax Internet access. In other words, there is no evidence that making ITFA permanent will encourage people who do not currently subscribe to high-speed Internet access services to begin doing so.

“In addition, legislation concerning state taxation must take into consideration the needs of all affected stakeholders. Specifically, Congress must be mindful of any legislation that may adversely impact state revenues and thereby impede the ability of these states to provide needed services to their residents. Unfortunately, H.R. 3086, if enacted as is, will result in some states losing millions of dollars in revenue. For example, Texas and its localities could lose upwards of $350 million in revenue a year.

“Fortunately, this legislation only needs two simple revisions to eliminate these negative impacts –  the moratorium should not be made permanent; and the grandfather protections should be extended for the term of the moratorium. That is why I intend to offer an amendment that will make these two important changes to the bill. If these changes are not made and Congress chooses instead to protect an entire economic sector from taxation, the bill’s adverse impact on state revenues will likely shift the tax burden to lower income and rural consumers who continue to rely on telephone services. Utility companies, retailers, manufacturers, and other non-broadband related businesses may also feel the brunt of the tax shift.

“Finally, our Committee should focus on meaningful ways to help state and local governments as well as local businesses, such as the Marketplace Fairness Act, which the Senate overwhelming passed more than 13 months ago. By failing to address the issue of remote sales taxation, our local retailers – who have to collect sales taxes – are increasingly losing to out-of-state businesses that do not collect these taxes. Retail competitors should be able to compete on a level playing field with their Internet counterparts at least with respect to sales tax policy.

“Not only do local retailers suffer because of the disparate treatment of remote sales taxes, but state and local government suffer as a result of reduced tax revenues. Lost tax revenues mean that state and local governments will have fewer resources to provide their residents essential services, like education and police and fire protection. Accordingly, I urge the Chairman to schedule a markup before the August work period of the Marketplace Fairness Act or a similar effective measure. We owe it to our local communities, our local retailers, and state and local governments to act before the end of this year.”

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Rebooting Electronic Privacy Rights

By John Conyers, Jr. and Ralph Nadler

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

When the framers drafted the Constitution, Americans' privacy rights were of great importance and necessary in establishing protections for the people. However, as technology has advanced exponentially, our government has fallen short of upholding and extending those privacy protections to the digital space.

The Fourth Amendment protects documents stored in a desk drawer and file cabinet, but did you know those same documents stored in the "cloud" are vulnerable to warrantless search and seizure?

That's because the law governing our online communications was enacted in 1986 -- long before people interacted through text messages, social media and for most Americans, even email. At that time, Congress could not envision that we would one day store our information in the "cloud" or host the majority of our correspondences online. As such, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) is woefully outdated, and does not provide the necessary protections to Americans' online communications that they deserve.

ECPA says that government agencies can access online communications that have been stored for over 180 days with merely a subpoena, meaning no prior consideration from a judge is necessary.

Fortunately, there is a solution for this gaping hole in our nation's privacy rights -- ECPA reform.

We are proud to join with many of our colleagues in co-sponsoring the Email Privacy Act. This legislation would update ECPA for the digital age by requiring the government to get a warrant in order to access private online communications. The Email Privacy Act is a simple solution that would provide the appropriate Fourth Amendment protections for all Americans. Moreover, it has broad bipartisan support with more than 200 co-sponsors and counting. This is practical reform every American can stand behind.

The American people deserve to have their privacy rights updated for the digital age. Congress can extend the protections established in the Constitution to their online communications by passing the Email Privacy Act. The time for ECPA reform is now.

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Conyers Introduces New Legislation to Protect Student Loan Borrowers

As House Republican Leaders Obstruct Student Loan Relief, Rep. Conyers Joins Democratic Leaders in Fight for Student Loan Fairness

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) introduced H.R.4835, the “Stopping Abusive Student Loan Collection Practices in Bankruptcy Act of 2014.” This legislation curtails ruthless collection tactics used by creditors against borrowers who have taken out student loans and sought bankruptcy relief. In particular, the legislation empowers a bankruptcy judge to award both the costs and attorney’s fees to borrowers in bankruptcy cases where student loan creditors engaged in abusive litigation. This legislation comes on the heels of President Obama’s issuance of an executive order earlier this week that allows nearly 5 million Americans struggling with student loan debt the ability to cap their loan payments at 10 percent of their income starting in 2015. In addition, yesterday afternoon House Democrats moved to force a vote on the House companion bill to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) “Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act,” after the legislation was blocked in the U.S. Senate.

After H.R. 4835 was introduced, Representative Conyers (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“With record tuition costs, student loan debt topping $1 trillion nationally, and too few employment opportunities for young Americans, it’s no surprise that our nation’s student borrowers are struggling. As a report in the New York Times revealed in January, even student loans borrowers with terminal illnesses - and who were driven into bankruptcy as a result - have been denied important consumer protections. These mounting challenges have turned into a full-blown crisis; the time is now for the federal government to step in and be a part of the solution,” said Conyers.

“Today, I introduced H.R. 4835, the ‘Stopping Abusive Student Loan Collection Practices in Bankruptcy Act of 2014,’ to ensure basic fairness for student borrowers. Unfortunately, some student loan debt collectors engage in abusive litigation tactics that exponentially drive up the cost of legal representation for a borrower. My legislation allows bankruptcy judges to award attorneys fees in cases where a court determines that a borrower’s student loan debt does not have to be repaid in total, due to an undue hardship on the individual and the creditors’ position in opposing this relief was not substantially justified. By empowering bankruptcy judges to award borrower’s attorney’s fees in cases, my legislation will help put a stop to creditors taking advantage of student loan borrowers in the courtroom.

“By ensuring basic legal and consumer protections for students, Congress can help save a generation from being mired in student loan debt. As a matter of fairness and personal opportunity, Congress must stand with our students to level the playing field.”

This legislation is supported by the National Consumer Law Center, Inc. on behalf of its low-income clients as well as the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.

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Ranking Member Conyers Statement at FBI Oversight Hearing

(WASHINGTON) – Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing entitled, “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” During his opening remarks, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) delivered the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“ Today, we welcome Director James Comey of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for his first appearance before the House Judiciary Committee since taking office on September 4, 2013. Director Comey, I do not always agree with the policies of the FBI—but I have great confidence in your commitment to fairness and to the rule of law. In 1996, as Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, you were appointed lead prosecutor in the Khobar Towers bombing case in Saudi Arabia. In 2002, as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, you handled a wide range of complex, high profile cases while helping that district return to some measure of normalcy in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11th. And, in 2004, while serving as Deputy Attorney General of the United States, you refused certify the Bush Administration’s lawless dragnet surveillance program—and then confronted senior White House personnel at the hospital when the Administration sought to gain approval from Mr. Ashcroft directly. Time and time again, you have demonstrated your basic commitment to the rule of law, even in exigent and dramatic circumstances.

“That is why I am pleased that you are at the helm of the FBI on this, the first anniversary of our public discussion about the government’s domestic surveillance programs. Last month, the House passed H.R. 3361, the USA FREEDOM Act.  This legislation is designed to end domestic bulk collection across the board.  It applies to Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, the FISA pen register authority, and the national security letter statutes. I am proud to have cast a vote in favor of the only measure to pass the House that rolls back any aspect of government surveillance since the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 1978.

“But bulk collection is only one aspect of the problem with government surveillance. Over the past few years, our early difficulties with national security letters notwithstanding, the FBI has proven a responsible custodian of the new legal authorities granted to the bureau after September 11th.  For the most part, it uses the tools Congress has provided in the manner Congress intended for them to be used. But the FBI is an end user of massive amounts of data acquired under FISA and other authorities—without a warrant or individualized suspicion.  This raises serious privacy and civil liberties concerns. Director Comey, you are a standardbearer in the struggle to  reign in unlawful surveillance, and I hope that you will work with this Committee to help us restore a measure of public trust in this area.

“Although we have spent much of the last decade focused on counterterrorism, it is critically important that the bureau balance its national security function with its traditional law enforcement mission. In this vein, Director Comey, I would like to discuss with you the scourge of gun violence in this country.  Yesterday’s shooting at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon is at least the 74th school shooting since the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut in late 2012. The FBI maintains the National Instant Background Check System, and the bureau is often called upon to participate in the investigation of high profile shootings.  Because I believe that a more complete background check system would help to stem the tide of violence, I look forward to your views in this matter.

“Similarly, although we face many threats from overseas, the FBI plays a fundamental role in confronting extremist violence here at home. The bureau has called the so-called “sovereign citizen” movement a “growing domestic threat.”  According to the Anti-Defamation League, between 2009 and 2013, there were 43 violent incidents between law enforcement officials and anti-government extremists.  30 police officers have been shot.  14 have been killed. To these numbers, we must now add the two officers shot and killed this past Sunday in Las Vegas, Nevada.  These are not isolated incidents.  Director Comey, Congress has empowered the FBI with considerable authority—including federal hate crimes legislation—to root out this extremism.  I would like to hear more about how the bureau puts these laws and resources to use.

“I would also like to discuss with you the topic of overcriminalization.  The United States represents 5 percent of the world’s population, but incarcerates more than 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. The Bureau of Prisons is strained to the breaking point.  I would like to know why, then, the FBI often recommends federal prosecutions in cases that are already being prosecuted in state court, so that an offender faces trial on the same facts in two separate jurisdiction.

“The FBI plays a critical role in protecting our nation’s computer networks from cyber criminals.  We must do more to prevent the infiltration of our cyber systems from economic and financial criminals.  I would like to hear from Director Comey about the challenges presented by the international aspects of these crimes.

“Finally, I applaud Deputy Attorney General Cole’s recent announcement on the recording of federal custodial interviews—and your support of this new policy. This new presumption—that all FBI custodial interviews will be recorded—helps all sides of the case. Federal prosecutors will finally be able to share recorded confessions with the jury.  And suspects who feel that they have been treated unfairly will be able to fall back on the recorded evidence. There are a few exceptions to the official rule that give me pause, but I will reserve criticism until we see the new policy in action.

“I look forward to learning more about the FBI’s priorities today.  I thank Director Comey for joining us for his first oversight hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.  And I yield back.”

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House Passes Conyers Amendment to Fully Fund Center to Combat Homelessness

(WASHINGTON) – Late yesterday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives considered H.R. 4745, the “Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act of 2015.” During consideration of the legislation, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) offered an amendment to fully fund the Homeless Data Analysis Project (HDAP). The HDAP is the federal government’s leading center for data collection and dissemination of best practices for combating homelessness. This program has been located within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) since 2001. Despite initial reservations by conservative Members, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the amendment unanimously. After the amendment was adopted, Representative Conyers issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“In the aftermath of the nationwide housing crisis of 2008, millions of Americans lost their homes through no fault of their own. In the worst cases - yet regrettably all too often - these struggling individuals wound up in shelters or found themselves living on the streets. It is unthinkable that more than a million people struggle with the scourge of homelessness in the world’s most prosperous nation. In an effort to help repair this shameful state, I offered an amendment - unanimously approved by the House of Representatives - that fully funds the Homeless Data Analysis Project (HDAP). This vote was a win for America’s most vulnerable people, and an acknowledgment by Congress that homelessness is not only corrosive to individual lives but also to our national character,” said Conyers.

“In 2001, Congress directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to ‘take the lead on data collection’ on homelessness, the result of which was the HDAP. This program provides critical resources to communities to improve data collection, reporting, and integration of data collection efforts with other federal funding streams. Over the past decade, this project has allowed HUD and other agencies to move away from using largely anecdotal and often inconsistent evidence to using quality data for policy decisions. Better data means better outcomes for the most vulnerable Americans.

“With more than 19,000 individuals - including nearly 4,000 children - homeless in the Detroit area at some point over the course of a year, we have a moral obligation to act. By fully funding homeless assistance grants, and data coordination programs to wisely administer such funding, we can help make the dream of ending homelessness a reality.”

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