Judiciary Committee

WASHINGTON -- Nov. 17, 2009 – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday urged the Senate to vote to end the filibuster of the nomination of Judge David Hamilton to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Hamilton’s nomination has been pending on the Senate’s executive calendar since June 4.

President Obama nominated Judge Hamilton on March 17. He appeared before the Judiciary Committee twice, on April 1 and April 29. His nomination is supported by Indiana Senators Richard Lugar (R) and Evan Bayh (D). Senate Republicans have rejected efforts to reach an agreement to debate and vote on Hamilton’s nomination, and last Tuesday, the Senate Majority Leader filed cloture – a motion to bring debate to an end – on the nomination.    » read more »

WASHINGTON (Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009) – The Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday held a hearing focusing on reauthorizing and improving the landmark Innocence Protection Act, legislation enacted as part of the 2004 Justice For All Act. The Innocence Protection Act was first introduced in 2000 by Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).

Leahy crafted the unprecedented criminal justice reform legislation to ensure that law enforcement officials have the necessary tools to find and convict criminals, while making sure that innocent people have the means to establish and prove their innocence. The Committee is expected to consider the reauthorization of Justice For All Act programs, including the Innocence Protection Act, in the coming months.    » read more »

WASHINGTON -- October 14, 2009 – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday announced that the Committee will hold a hearing on October 21 to examine health care fraud prevention.    » read more »

Senate Judiciary Committee

October 14, 2009 -- As prepared for delivery -- “The antitrust laws enacted in the early 20th century provide essential protections for consumers and businesses, and those protections should apply to Americans buying health and medical malpractice insurance.

As Congress debates the costs of health care, it is very much worth nothing that purchasers of these insurance policies are particularly susceptible to industry collusion leading to inflated prices. But under current law, health and medical malpractice insurance providers are exempt from federal antitrust regulations. This is because, as we all know, the insurance industry was given a statutory exemption from antitrust laws over sixty years ago by the McCarren-Ferguson Act.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), along with Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (MI-14) and Representatives Steve Cohen (TN-09), Mel Watt (NC-12), Bill Delahunt (MA-10), Linda Sanchez (CA-39) and Hank Johnson (GA-04), introduced the Civil Access to Justice Act of 2009.

The main purpose of this legislation is to reauthorize the Legal Services Corporation Act, which has not been reauthorized by Congress since 1977. A companion bill was introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (IA) earlier this year.    » read more »

October 8, 2009 -- “The PATRIOT Act reauthorization bill passed by the Judiciary Committee today falls far short of adequately protecting the rights of innocent Americans. Among the most significant problems is the failure to include an improved standard for Section 215 orders, even though a Republican controlled Judiciary Committee unanimously supported including the same standard in 2005.    » read more »

Measure Would Enable Family of Sgt. Carmelo Rodriguez & Others to Hold Military Accountable for Negligent Medical Care

October 7, 2009 -- Washington, DC - The House Judiciary Committee today approved a bill authored by Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) that would legislatively overturn a 1950 U.S. Supreme Court ruling known as the Feres Doctrine in order to enable armed service members and their families to hold the military accountable for medical malpractice.

Current law prevents any such malpractice lawsuits from being filed against the military regardless of the egregiousness of the situation. Hinchey will now work closely with the Judiciary Committee to bring the bill to the House floor for a vote in the coming months.    » read more »

WASHINGTON -- October 7, 2009 – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday chaired a hearing in which the Committee examined two Supreme Court decisions that have made it more difficult for workers to take employers to court for civil rights violations and, once there, more difficult for victims to prove workplace discrimination.

The hearing focused on Circuit City v. Adams, which extended the scope of the Federal Arbitration Act to cover employment contracts, and Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., a recent decision that made it more difficult to prove age discrimination in the workplace. A narrowly divided Supreme Court issued 5-4 decisions in both cases.    » read more »

Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constitution

October 6, 2009 -- As Prepared for Delivery

“I think it is fair to acknowledge that there has been a lot of discussion about the Obama administration’s appointment of so-called czars to various positions in the White House and other departments or agencies. I called this hearing today because I think this is a serious issue that deserves serious study.    » read more »

Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting

October 1, 2009 -- As Prepared for Delivery

“When Congress reconsidered the sunsetting provisions of the Patriot Act reauthorization four years ago, I was unable to support the final reauthorization package because I did not believe that it contained adequate oversight and safeguards for some very intrusive surveillance powers.    » read more »

WASHINGTON -- September 29, 2009 – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday announced that the Committee will hold a hearing to examine two Supreme Court decisions that have made it more difficult for workers to take employers to court for civil rights violations and, once there, more difficult for victims to prove workplace discrimination.

The hearing will focus on Circuit City v. Adams, which extended the scope of the Federal Arbitration Act to cover employment contracts, and Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., a recent decision that made it more difficult to prove age discrimination in the workplace. A narrowly divided Supreme Court issued 5-4 decisions in both cases.    » read more »

WASHINGTON -- September 17, 2009 – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday introduced legislation to eliminate a federal antitrust exemption for health insurance and medical malpractice insurance companies.

As the Senate prepares to consider comprehensive health care reform legislation, Leahy introduced the Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act to repeal the antitrust exemption that was established in the 1945 McCarran-Ferguson Act.    » read more »

As Prepared

June 23, 2009 -- "I thank Senator Menendez and Senator Schumer for their outstanding statements to the Senate today. As I review Judge Sotomayor’s record in preparation for her confirmation hearing on July 13, I am struck by her extraordinary career and how she has excelled at everything she has done. I know how proud her mother Celina is of her accomplishments.    » read more »

Senator Impressed with Judge's Personal and Professional Experience

June 10, 2009 -- Washington – Senator Kent Conrad left his meeting today with Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor saying he was impressed with the federal judge’s vast experience and background.

“I had a productive meeting with Judge Sotomayor and learned more about her background and how she would interpret the Constitution,” Senator Conrad said after the one-on-one meeting. “We need justices who will impartially interpret the law and the Constitution and also possess a record of sound judgment.”    » read more »

National Law Enforcement Organizations Endorse Judge Sonia Sotomayor For The United States Supreme Court

June 9, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Vice President Joe Biden was joined today by representatives from eight national law enforcement organizations, who together announced their support for and endorsement of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court.

With these endorsements, law enforcement organizations from around the country stand firmly behind Judge Sotomayor’s nomination. These groups know her record on crime: as a prosecutor and then on the federal bench, Judge Sotomayor has always been both fair and tough, and has followed the rule of law at every turn.    » read more »