Judiciary Committee

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 »

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 »

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 »

WASHINGTON (Wednesday, May 7, 2008) – The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing later this month to examine the rising price of crude oil and its effect on gas prices across the country, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced today.

Giant 5 mpg SUV: Photo by Financial Aid Podcast (CC)    » 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 »

Subcommittee Authorizes Subpoena for Addington

May 6, 2008 -- (Washington, DC)- Today, the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties heard testimony from a panel of witnesses who agreed that there is no "ticking time bomb" that justifies harsh interrogation techniques that were approved in Bush Administration legal memos.

Protest sign, Washington, D.C.: Photo by Giovanni Variottinelli (CC)    » read more »

April 17, 2008 -- (Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Committee Members Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Artur Davis (D-AL), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced three critical actions in the Committee's investigation into allegations of selective or poltiically-motivated prosecution in the Justice Department.

Karl Rove protesters: Photo by Ted Swedenburg (CC)    » 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 11, 2008 -- (Remarks as Prepared) -- Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Specter, and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for inviting me to appear before the Committee to discuss the Department's progress in securing our homeland and protecting the American people. At the outset, I'd like to thank the Committee for its past support of the Department and your continued guidance as we take aggressive steps to achieve our mission.

Michael Chertoff with George W. Bush: White House photo    » read more »

April 11, 2008 -- Washington, DC -- House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) today invited several current and former Administration officials to a May 6 hearing to explore the development and legal approval of Bush administration torture policies and other potential abuses of executive power.

John Ashcroft: Photo by World Economic Forum (CC)    » read more »

Press Reports Signal Department Attorney Fired Unlawfully

WASHINGTON -- April 9, 2008 – Responding to press reports about the dismissal of a Department of Justice attorney, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday sent a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey asking that he ensure that Department of Justice managers are aware of laws and policies against discrimination and intimidation.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey being sworn in at Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: Photo by Talk Radio News Service (CC)    » read more »

House Judiciary Committee to Hold Further Hearings; Examine Possible Legislative Remedy

(Washington, DC) - House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee Chairwoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA) today announced the release of a 144-page report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) recommending legislation to address the health problems faced by professional football players, and also released the responses to questions posed by the Committee to the NFL and NFLPA.

New York Giants football injury: Photo by John Corbett (CC)    » 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 »

WASHINGTON (Wednesday, April 2, 2008) – The Senate Judiciary Committee today held a hearing on oversight of the Department of Homeland Security. Secretary Chertoff fielded questions from Senators about backlogs in naturalization applications at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the REAL ID Act, and immigration detention practices.

Senator Leahy and Secretary Chertoff are speaking before the oversight hearing: Photo courtesy Senator Leahy    » read more »