John Conyers

Nov. 07, 2009 -- WASHINGTON D.C. -- Congressman John Conyers, Jr (D-MI) issued the following statement today applauding the passage of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

“Today, I joined my Democratic colleagues in support of the Affordable Healthcare for America Act. While the bill is far from perfect, I supported it because it will expand access to health insurance to 96 percent of Americans, end discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, help our seniors by closing the prescription drug benefit donut hole, and increase competition and choice with a public insurance option.”    » read more »

Nov. 07, 2009 -- Washington, DC – On Thursday, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed HR 3548, the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 by a vote of 403 to 12. This bill provides critical aid to families in Southeast Michigan and across the country in the form of extended unemployment benefits, tax relief to businesses, and an extension and expansion of the homebuyers’ tax credit.

The bill, which was passed earlier this week by the Senate, now goes to the President’s desk, where it is expected to be signed into law.

A copy of Congressman Conyers’ statement of support is below:

Statement of Congressman John Conyers, Jr. on
Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009
November 5, 2009

Madam Speaker,    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON D.C. – On September 30th the U.S. Department of Labor announced three National Emergency Grants totaling $38,033,600 to assist workers affected by documented layoffs from multiple companies in Michigan; $19,016,800 will be released initially. These funds will provide much needed assistance to workers who are currently displaced and those affected by future layoffs occurring within these southeastern Michigan during the grants’ 12-month period of performance. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. made the following statement regarding the grants:    » read more »

May 30, 2008 -- Washington, DC - Today, House Judiciary Commitee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) released the following statement in response to revelation about the Valerie Plame CIA leak made in former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's new book, What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception:

"I find Mr. McClellan's revelations about attempts to cover-up the Valerie Plame leak extremely troubling. Particularly disturbing is McClellan's assertion that he was specifically directed by Andy Card to 'vouch' for Scooter Libby after the investigation had begun, which, if true, could amount to obstruction of justice beyond that for which Mr. Libby has already been convicted.    » read more »

Justice Department Releases Some Agreements, Names Monitors

May 22, 2008 -- (Washington, DC) - Last week, the United States Justice Department sent 85 deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements, and a list of corporate monitors selected in 41 of the agreements, to the House Judiciary Committee.

Today, Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Subcommittee Chairwoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA, Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law), and Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) expressed the need for full disclosure about the agreements, and possibly legislation to set stricter guidelines for how corporate monitors are selected and how the agreements are structured. The lawmakers previously requested the information in January.    » read more »

May 22, 2008 -- (Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) issued a subpoena to former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove for testimony about the politicization of the Department of Justice (DOJ), including former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman's case. Yesterday, Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin, sent a letter to the committee expressing that Rove would not agree to testify voluntarily, per the committee's previous requests.    » read more »

Sen. Menendez, Reps. Lofgren and Conyers, along with representatives of the religious community and civil liberties advocates, push for passage of Detainee Basic Medical Care Act

May 21, 2008 -- WASHINGTON—Today, a coalition of Members of Congress, representatives of the religious community and civil liberties advocates joined together to call for basic human rights for immigrants detained in the United States. The group was led by U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), who are working to pass the Detainee Basic Medical Care Act.    » read more »

May 20, 2008 -- (Washington, DC) - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) said he is seeking answers to questions raised in a report issued today by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report entitled, "A Review of the FBI's Involvement in and Observations of Detainee Interrogations in Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan and Iraq." He released the following statement in response to the report’s release:    » read more »

May 14, 2008 -- (Washington, DC) - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, and Reps. Artur Davis (D-AL) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) sent a letter to Robert Luskin, attorney for former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, clarifying the committee's request for Rove to testify.

Last week, Luskin responded to the committee's request with a letter stating that Rove would respond to written questioning.    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- (Washington, DC) - Today House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced H.R. 5994, the "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2008," to establish an antitrust remedy for anticompetitive and discriminatory practices by broadband service providers.

The legislation requires internet service providers (ISPs) to interconnect with the facilities of other network providers on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis. It also requires them to operate their network in a reasonable and nondiscriminatory manner so that all content, applications and services are treated the same and have an equal opportunity to reach consumers.    » read more »

May 7, 2008 -- Washington, DC - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers issued a subpoena to David Addington, chief of staff to the vice president, compelling him to testify before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties on June 26 at 10 a.m. Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John C. Yoo, who has agreed to testify voluntarily, will testify on that day as well.

The subpoena and its cover letter are below:

David Addington subpoena - page 1

David Addington subpoena - page 2    » read more »

April 16, 2008 -- Washington, DC -- House Judiciary Committee Chairman, John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), and Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), announced that today's oversight hearing on the H-2B program will be the first in a series of immigration hearings. The subcommittee and the full committee will conduct several hearings on this issue in the coming weeks.

“Over the past year, it has become clear that we need an immigration system that is fair, legal, and tough," said Conyers. "The Bush administration has lost control of our borders and failed to deliver an immigration system that is good for American families, workers, and businesses. It is time to address those failures.    » read more »

April 14, 2008 -- (Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr., and Subcommittee Chairmen Jerrold Nadler (D-NY, Constitution Subcommittee) and Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA, Crime Subcommittee) sent a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey demanding that he provide answers, not public relations spin, to disturbing revelations about pre-9/11 intelligence failures and subsequent civil liberties abuses.    » read more »

April 8, 2008 -- (Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) announced plans to hold a May 6 hearing to examine a recently released torture memo and the issue of executive power as it relates to interrogation and war-making authority. Conyers also sent a letter today to University of California - Berkeley professor John Yoo asking him to testify at the hearing.

Yoo is the former attorney in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel who authored the recently released memo seeking to clarify torture procedures and detailing the administration's extremely broad view of presidential powers during wartime.    » read more »

April 1, 2008 -- (Washington, DC)- Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring the 40th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, coming this Friday, April 4. Below are House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr.'s (D-MI) remarks, as prepared for delivery on the House floor in support of the resolution:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.    » read more »