Conyers In The House

Conyers Announces $360k Grant Award to Alternatives For Girls Programs

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – This week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $360,000 to Alternatives For Girls, a nonprofit based in Detroit that helps the homeless as well as high-risk girls and young women. The grant funding is provided by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families - Family and Youth Services Bureau. Half of the awarded funds, will be directed to the Transitional Living and Maternity Group Home Program, while the other half of the grant funding is appropriated to the Maternity Group Home for Young Women in Detroit, Michigan. Following the announcement, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“Today I am pleased to announce that the Administration on Children, Youth and Families - Family and Youth Services Bureau has awarded the Detroit-based nonprofit Alternatives For Girls more than $360,000 in grant funding. The Transitional Living and Maternity Group Home Program will receive $180,000 of this funding, and an additional $180,000 will go to the Maternity Group Home for Young Women,” said Conyers.

“Alternatives For Girls is an incredible nonprofit that focuses on helping homeless women and high risk girls and young women in the Detroit community. By providing shelter, and a corresponding network of support for its members to transition to independent living, Alternatives For Girls helps women who are struggling with abuse, homelessness, and drug use.

“I commend HHS for recognizing the exceptional, critical work of Alternatives For Girls, and I thank Alternatives For Girls for their selfless work to improve the lives of our neighbors in need.”

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Rep. John Conyers, Jr. Presents: The Paycheck Reduction Act...In Song

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:15:00 +0000

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Conyers Co-Sponsors Legislation Boosting Mental Health Access to Veterans

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:04:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) co-sponsored the bipartisan “Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act,” introduced by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa). Currently, veterans face a five-year window in which they must seek treatment for mental illnesses before losing their higher priority status. This legislation would eliminate that five-year waiting period and allow veterans to seek treatment for mental illnesses stemming from service, regardless of when their conditions arise. Following his co-sponsorship of the bill, Rep. Conyers issued this statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“It is an appalling figure, yet unfortunately 22 veterans commit suicide every single day. Sixty years after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established, it is time for Congress to renew its commitment to providing the men and women who served our nation - from Detroit and all across the country - with the healthcare services they earned," said Conyers.

“Currently the VA provides healthcare treatment and services to veterans who suffer from service-related mental or physical disabilities. Typically, the diagnosis of physical injuries is made before or shortly after separation from the military. However, mental illnesses may not arise until years later. In addition, some serious mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder were virtually undiagnosed in veterans of conflicts prior to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“As the United States armed forces and the VA continue to improve treatment for those who served, there remains a gap for veterans struggling with mental illnesses. Fortunately, the ‘Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act’ will go a long way towards ensuring that the services and treatments relating to mental health that are available to recently discharged veterans are also made available to all who served.”

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Conyers Issues Application Reminder for COPS Hiring Program

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:56:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, the application period for the Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program (CHP) opens for interested participants. CHP is a grant program within the Department of Justice that offers funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to hire additional officers to bolster community policing measures. The deadline for participating in CHP’s competitive grant program is 7:59 PM EDT on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Following the application announcement, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“As the grant application window re-opens for the Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program (CHP), I strongly encourage all interested local law enforcement agencies to apply for funding before the May 22^nd deadline,” said Conyers.

“Since the program was established in 1994, CHP has been a tremendous boon to the Detroit metropolitan area and surrounding suburbs. Through CHP’s competitive grant program, local law enforcement agencies have been able to hire new full-time officers and re-hire officers who had been laid off due to city-wide budget cuts. In addition, the hiring process affords priority consideration to veterans and school resource officers.

“While CHP grant funding is limited, this program has nonetheless played a critical role in reducing both crime and unemployment in our community. For these reasons, I hope that local law enforcement agencies will take advantage of this opportunity before the grant application window closes next month.”

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Conyers Applauds National Endowment for the Arts Grant Recipients

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:43:00 +0000

Grant Recipients Include Allied Media Projects, InsideOut Literary Arts Projects, Inc., and the University of Detroit Mercy

(DETROIT) – Today, the National Endowment for the Arts announced its second round of grants for 2013. Three of the grants will go to projects in Michigan’s 13^th congressional district. The grants awarded in this funding cycle total over $26 million and will go to over 800 organizations in 46 states. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

U.S. Congressman
John Conyers, Jr.

“The grants awarded today total over $100,000 and will go to support programs for multimedia performance, literacy, and cultural activities in the city.

“These grants will help support projects in the district that involve the creation and presentation of artistically excellent work.

“I am proud that creativity is continuing to be encouraged despite the drastic cuts to arts funding that we are seeing around the country.

“I encourage more of my constituents to seek funding for their art programs through the National Endowment for the Arts.”

The programs that received grants are Allied Media Projects, InsideOut Literary Arts Project, Inc. and the University of Detroit Mercy. Constituents in search of guidelines or information about upcoming grants should visit www.arts.gov.

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Conyers to Speaker Boehner: Appoint Budget Conferees Today

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:35:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Following passage of budgets in both the House and Senate, Congress was obligated by law to pass a reconciled final budget by April 15th of this year. For the House and Senate budgets to be reconciled, the Speaker of the House must appoint budget conferees to negotiate. Marking a week ago today that the budget deadline passed, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“It is now exactly a week past the legal deadline for Congress to have submitted a final budget to the President. This is entirely unacceptable. Rather than have Congress abdicate its duty, I urge Speaker Boehner to appoint budget conferees today to finish the budgeting process,” said Conyers.

“As Congress and the Obama administration work to strengthen the economy, it is essential that we have a budgetary framework that guides our investments and informs our values. A fair, forward-thinking budget will go a long way towards creating good-paying jobs as well as shoring up the middle class.

“The House and Senate have already acted, and with the so-called budgetary ‘sequester’ beginning to take a serious toll on the economic well-being of the country, it is time to produce a final budget. Only by appointing budget conferees can Speaker Boehner allow Congress to get back to the people’s work.”

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Conyers Votes Against Cybersecurity Bill; Says Congress Must Not Forsake Privacy Protections

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:57:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, the House of Representatives voted 288 to 127 to pass H.R. 624, the “Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act” (CISPA). This legislation overrides current privacy laws to permit private companies to share information with the federal government if there is a suspected cyber threat, but does not require the companies to remove unrelated private information of customers from what they turn over. Under the bill, companies would also enjoy broad liability protection. Following passage of the bill, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement:

U.S. Congressman
John Conyers, Jr.

“While it is essential that Congress address our nation’s glaring cybersecurity deficiencies, I am disappointed that the House of Representatives passed CISPA, over the veto threat of President Obama, without critical privacy safeguards,” said Conyers.

“In its current form, CISPA would allow the federal government to potentially have access to a private citizen’s email, medical records, and other personal information. Unfortunately, the House did not approve amendments to require companies to use reasonable efforts to remove unrelated private information from what they turn over to the government.”

“In addition, CISPA contains provisions that limit private companies from liability. If a company makes a poor cybersecurity decision based on information it obtains that harms public, the company would not be held responsible for their actions.

“Our nation faces very real cyber threats, but this bill is not the right way to address them. Effective cybersecurity legislation must protect our privacy and encourage better cybersecurity practices, but this bill fails to do both. We must address these shortcomings before a bill reaches the President’s desk.”

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On Tax Day, Conyers Calls for a Fairer Tax Code

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:04:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – On Tax Day, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released this statement calling on Congress to take steps to reform the U.S. tax code in a fair and equitable manner:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“Tax Day is a reminds us that, for far too long, the tax code has unfairly benefited the wealthiest in our country at the expense of working and middle class families,” said Conyers.

“Last year, I authored a white paper with my colleagues in the Congressional Progressive Caucus that outlines a vision of progressive comprehensive tax reform. A progressive tax code should invest in the economic future of the United States, promote responsible corporate behavior, limit outsourcing, improve progressivity, include fair rates for the wealthiest taxpayers, reexamine expenditures that benefit the wealthy, and protect benefits that help working families, the poor, and seniors.

“President Obama and Congressional Democrats have consistently sought to ensure fairness in our tax code through reforms that close tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthiest Americans. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress in the coming year to pursue tax reforms that reflect our nation’s commitment to fairness and shared economic opportunity. A fairer tax code could include a tax on speculative financial transactions, new tax brackets for the super-wealthy, a carbon tax, and closing the carried interest loophole.”

###

The Congressional Progressive Caucus’s Progressive Principles for Tax Reform can be found online here.

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Conyers Marks Equal Pay Day

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 02:25:00 +0000

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

Urges Passage of Equal Pay for Women through the Paycheck Fairness Act

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Members of Congress are participating in Equal Pay Day, highlighting the disparity of women earning only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2013. April 9^th is the symbolic date on which a woman’s wages catch up to what a man would earn in a previous year, in a comparable field of employment. In acknowledging Equal Pay Day, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released this statement:

“Today I join my colleagues in Congress in marking Equal Pay Day, a day that symbolizes when the average woman will have worked an additional amount in 2013 to make up for the difference between her salary and the salary of her male colleagues in 2012,” said Conyers.

“Today stands as a reminder that, despite the many advances working women have made in our country, significant barriers to equality in the workplace continue to endure. April 9^th is the 99^th day of the year, symbolizing how women all across our country must devote 99 extra days a year to work if they want to be treated as equals. Our mothers must spend 99 extra days away from their children to be treated equal to our fathers, and our daughters must spend 99 extra days to catch up to our sons. In addition, according to a new report from the American Association of University Women, the women in the 13^th Congressional District of Michigan earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, mirroring the national average.

“These figures are simply unacceptable. For this reason, I urge my colleagues to sign on to H.R. 377, the ‘Paycheck Fairness Act,’ legislation that provides American women with real guarantees of equal pay for equal work, by strengthening and closing loopholes in the nearly 50 year old Equal Pay Act.

“Now more than ever, many middle-class families depend upon female earners to put food on the table and roofs over children's heads. It is time to provide women in this country with the legal protections they need to finally end the discrimination that they see in their paychecks, and finally guarantee the rights that women have had in name only.”

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Allies Issues and Action Meeting - Congressman John Conyers - 3/12/2013 Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:40:00 +0000

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Reps. Conyers and Peters Request GAO Investigation of Michigan Emergency Managers

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:13:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Congressman C. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an investigation into emergency managers in Michigan. Reps. Conyers and Peters issued this statement following their transmission of the letter to the GAO:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

John Conyers, Jr.: “It is difficult to identify a single instance where an emergency manager has succeeded in turning around the financial fortunes of a city or jurisdiction. The history of the emergency manager Law in Michigan is replete with fiscal mismanagement and conflicts of interest. In the absence of any sort of checks or balances at the state level, it is vital that the GAO examine the law and its impact, particularly the impact on federal funding.”

U.S. Representative
Gary Peters

Gary C. Peters: “By focusing only on short-term budgetary patches, emergency managers have failed to address the long-term systemic issues confronting older urban areas. The consistent record of poor results we’ve seen from emergency managers is why I’m joining with Congressman John Conyers in calling for a GAO review.”

Letter to GAO From U.S. Representatives John Conyers, Jr, and Gary Peters Requesting a Study of Michigan Em...

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Cancel the Sequester Act Press Conference

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:54:00 +0000

To stop further job loss in the public and private sectors, it is important that Congress repeal the sequester. These across-the-board cuts will cost more than 750,000 jobs this year alone and could derail the economic recovery.

Working families are calling on Congress to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from benefit cuts (i.e., raising the retirement age and the "chained" CPI), repeal the sequester and close tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthiest 2%.

Social Security Works, MoveOn.org and the Other 98% gathered more than 300,000 signatures and more than 60 national organizations signed onto a letter calling on Congress to repeal the sequester.

Organizations who signed the letter include the AFL-CIO, Alliance for Retired Americans, the Strengthen Social Security coalition, the Education Trust, Every Child Matters Education Fund, Wider Opportunities for Women, Green For All, the Letter Carriers, National Education Association and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund.

http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/Watch-Live-at-Noon-Repeal-the-Sequester-Press-Conference

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Rep. John Conyers: 'The Debt Is Not Endangering Us a Bit ... We Don't Think There's a Problem'

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:34:00 +0000

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Bicameral Group of Members Raises Alarm on Japan’s Possible Interest in Joining TPP Negotiations

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:59:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, dozens of House members and Senators are sending a letter to President Obama later today raising the alarm about Japan’s possible interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations between the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and several Pacific Rim countries. The letter, still circulating for signatures, will go to President Obama later this afternoon. Current signatories are below. After signing the letter, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“With the auto industry just now regaining its fiscal footing and profitability, it’s a very serious development that USTR is considering opening the domestic auto industry up to unfair competition from one of the most restrictive markets for automobiles in the world,” said Conyers.

“It is incumbent that USTR carefully scrutinize Japan’s potential entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership. American auto workers and manufacturers can’t afford another free trade deal that adds to our country’s $76 billion annual trade deficit with Japan.”

Letter to President Barack Obama from Bicameral Members of Congress on Japan’s possible interest in joining... by Beverly Tran

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Conyers Announces $272k in Cancer Detection and Treatment Research Grants for Wayne State

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:38:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded Wayne State University two exploratory/developmental grants totaling more than $272,000 for cancer detection and diagnosis research, as well as cancer treatment research. This funding was awarded through the National Cancer Institute, an organization within the National Institute of Health under HHS. One grant award of $123,976 went towards a Guiding Ca2+ Channel-Based Cancer Treatment Using Mn2+-Enhanced MRI. A second grant award of $148,770 went towards a Differential Network Interrogations of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Program. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement following the announcement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“I am happy to announce that the National Cancer Institute has awarded Wayne State University two grants, worth more than $272,000, to research and combat cancer,” said Conyers.

“In particular, these two grants will go towards funding a Guiding Ca2+ Channel-Based Cancer Treatment Using Mn2+- Enhanced MRI, as well as a Differential Network Interrogations of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Program. Both of these programs will facilitate the groundbreaking cancer research that Wayne State University is conducting.

“As the budgetary sequester begins to take effect this month, grant funding for programs like this serve as a reminder of what is at stake if such steep cuts to vital discretionary programs are allowed to continue.”

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Conyers Joins First Responders in Calling for Legislation to Combat Gun Trafficking

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:20:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – This afternoon, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) participated in a bipartisan Gun Trafficking Forum put on by Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Congressman Scott Rigell (R-Va.), and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.). Following the forum, Rep. Conyers issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“Today, I stand with my colleagues at a bipartisan forum on gun trafficking in support of the ‘Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013,’” said Conyers.

“Firearms violence remains an unacceptable epidemic of crime and death that impacts every community in this country. Each day on average, 32 Americans are murdered with guns, amounting to 12,000 lives each year. We simply cannot live with this horrifying status quo.

“Illegal gun trafficking is a critical enabler of gun violence. Research suggests that only about one of every six firearms used in a crime was obtained legally, and a noteworthy portion of crime guns are illegally diverted from legal commerce. We know that some federally licensed firearms dealers are disproportionately the source of guns used in crime, and we know that there are longstanding trafficking route for crime guns.

“Simply put, current law is not adequate to provide federal law enforcement with the tools needed to investigate and prosecute gun traffickers. As it stands, there is no law that specifically prohibits firearms trafficking and that reflects the seriousness of the threat of straw purchasing.

“To address the inadequacy of current law, I have joined Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Elijah Cummings, Scott Rigell and others in sponsoring H.R. 452, the ‘Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013.’ This bill will prohibit straw purchasing and penalize those who run gun trafficking rings that engage in straw purchasing.

“The ‘Gun Trafficking Prevention Act’ is critical to strengthening our firearms laws, but it is only one part of a comprehensive strategy that includes: Requiring background checks for all gun sales, banning semi-automatic assault weapons, banning high capacity ammunition magazines, addressing the root causes of violent crime through prevention programs, and providing better evaluation and treatment to address our mental health crisis.

“The magnitude of the problem demands that we do all of these things. Supporting the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act is a critical first step in addressing the national problem of gun violence. I will continue in this struggle against gun violence and this forum until our bill becomes law.”

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Conyers Joins President Obama, Applauds Signing of Violence Against Women Act

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:23:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) attended the President’s signing ceremony for the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA). Last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 286 to 138, with 87 House Republicans breaking with their party, to pass the bipartisan version of VAWA that passed the Senate overwhelmingly by a vote of 78 to 22. The Senate version of VAWA includes critical protections for the LGBT, immigrant, and Native American communities. In addition, the legislation expands protections for campus security, and reduces the backlog for domestic violence evidence kits. Rep. Conyers has been a leader on the issue of combating domestic violence, working since 1994 when the original VAWA first became law, to expand protections to all victims of violence. Following the signing ceremony, Rep. Conyers released this statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“It was an honor to stand alongside President Obama as he signed the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization into law. I am so pleased that Congress finally put partisanship aside to reauthorize this essential legislation,” said Conyers.

“Since 1994, VAWA has helped to reduce domestic violence by more than 64 percent. The 2013 reauthorization expands VAWA so that it now applies to all victims of domestic violence, including the LGBT, immigrant, and Native American communities.

“The issue of domestic violence is a serious problem in the United States. But, in reauthorizing VAWA, Congress and the President have taken another important step in making strides against domestic abuse.”

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Conyers: Sequester is Not the Answer

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:18:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement after his vote in opposition to H.R. 933, the “Fiscal Year 2013 Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act:”

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“Today, I opposed a flawed government spending bill that fails to make critical investments in our nation’s domestic priorities or stop the devastating across-the-board spending cuts known as ‘sequestration,’” said Conyers.

“By failing to stop sequestration with today’s vote, Congress is callously turning a blind eye to the terrible ramifications of these cuts. Failure to act today is a failure to prevent 600,000 to 775,000 low-income women, infants, and children from losing access to nutritional supplements. It is a failure to protect 100,000 low-income families who will lose their housing vouchers. It is a failure to preserve precious dollars in the unemployment checks of millions of jobless workers.

“Budgets and funding bills are necessary components of the work of any legislative body. But they also serve another purpose: they demonstrate to the world our values, morals, and national priorities. By voting for a bill today that ignores the needs of millions of Americans by funding necessary domestic government programs at levels not seen since the Eisenhower Administration, the vision of America we project to the world today is that of a country that is failing at its most basic tasks.

“Thankfully, there is a way out of this self-inflicted crisis: Congress can simply cancel the sequester. I have introduced a one-sentence bill, H.R. 900, the ‘Cancel the Sequester Act’ which would do just that. The time for debate is over. It is time for Congress to act. It’s time for Congress to protect our constituents from Washington’s dysfunction and cancel the sequester.”

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Conyers Announces $148k Breast Cancer Treatment Grant to Wayne State

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 04:24:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded Wayne State University more than $148,000 in exploratory/developmental grant funding for cancer treatment research. Breast cancer is the leading cancer-related cause of death for women. This funding was awarded through the National Cancer Institute, an organization within the National Institute of Health under HHS, and went towards a 4D Microfluidic Platform for Targeting Breast Cancer and Lymphatic Interactions. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement following the announcement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“I am pleased to announce that the National Cancer Institute has awarded Wayne State University a more than $148,000 grant to combat breast cancer,” said Conyers.

“Specifically, this grant funding will go towards a 4D Microfluidic Platform for Targeting Breast Cancer that will foster extensive breast cancer research. The grant will allow researchers at Wayne State to analyze certain lymphatic interactions as they relate to breast cancer.

“As the across-the-board spending cuts begin to kick in this month under sequestration, it is innovative research like the work occurring on breast cancer at Wayne State that reminds us why continued funding for health research is so essential. It is for this reason why I have introduced H.R. 900, the ‘Cancel the Sequester Act,’ in an attempt to avoid even further devastating cuts to critical domestic programs.

“I will also continue to advocate for increases in federal funding for breast cancer research, and look forward to working closely with Wayne State University on their innovative and world class breast cancer research programs.”

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Conyers, Pelosi, Moore Applaud Passage of the Violence Against Women Act

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:51:00 +0000

House Votes Down Weak House GOP VAWA, Passes Bipartisan Senate Version of VAWA that Protects LGBT, Native American, Immigrant, Campus and Sex Trafficking Victims

(WASHINGTON) – Today, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Representatives Gwen Moore (D-WI), John Conyers (D-MI), applauded the passage of the Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) following the failure of the partisan and discriminatory proposal put forth this week by House Republicans. With House Democrats pushing for a stronger, more comprehensive reauthorization, the Senate’s version passed the House by a vote of 286-138, extending the law’s crucial protections to LGBT, Native American and immigrant victims, providing for more rape kits as well as a national registry of forensic evidence from sexual assault cases, strengthening criminal anti-trafficking statutes, providing for temporary housing for victims, and addressing domestic violence on American college campuses.

“The Violence Against Women Act has long ensured that no woman would ever be forced to suffer in silence in the face of domestic violence and abuse. Democrats were committed to keeping that promise – that’s why we led the charge to enact the strong, bipartisan Senate bill and secure a victory for all women, no matter their background or community,” said Leader Pelosi. “Today, a bipartisan majority of the House joined the Senate in reaffirming our pledge to America’s women and families, strengthening this landmark law, extending protection to LGBT Americans, Native Americans, and immigrants, and preserving the security of all women.”

“For over 500 days women have been waiting and praying for this day to come,” said Rep. Gwen Moore. “Today, the majority of this body stood up for all women – including Native, LGBT and immigrant women. We answered their clarion call and declared that we will protect the victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking. I want to thank Democratic Leader Pelosi for her staunch leadership and support in the passage of this legislation as well as House Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers and so many of my colleagues who stood with us through this fight. Today is truly a victory for women everywhere.”

“I am pleased that the House of Representatives voted to protect all victims of domestic violence by passing the strong bill already passed by the Senate to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act,” saidRep. John Conyers, Jr. “Since 1994, the Violence Against Women Act has safeguarded victims of domestic violence by providing funding to help law enforcement investigate crimes of domestic violence and prosecute those who criminally victimize women. In addition, VAWA established the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice, and created community violence prevention programs. It is critical that we continue these programs and, with this subsequent reauthorization, those safeguards will be afforded to the LGBT, Native American, and immigrant communities as well. While there were significant stumbling blocks in reauthorizing VAWA last Congress, I am proud that Congress was able to come together today for a cause that should never be partisan: protecting all victims of domestic violence.”

Bipartisan Members of Judiciary Committee Affirm: The Work of Section 5 is Not Done

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:29:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, former Chairmen of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.) and Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) responded to oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Shelby County v. Holder. The bipartisan group of members filed a brief as amici curiae on February 1, 2013 to affirm what the Supreme Court has declared for over 50 years: Congress can enforce Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act under Congress’s 15^th Amendment Powers. Specifically, Section 5 halts discrimination at the outset of any voting change made in a state. States and local jurisdictions, under Section 5, must seek preclearance from the Justice Department or a Federal Court in the District of Columbia in order to bring the voting change into effect. Shelby County requests that the court declare that Congress exceeded its authority in 2006, when a bipartisan group of Members led the way to extend Section 5. Following oral arguments, the Representatives released this joint statement:

Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.: “The fifteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution declares that the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of race or color. However, as we all know, this has not always since been the case. While significant progress has been made, the Voting Rights Act remains a vital piece of our nation’s moral commitment to never again permit racial discrimination in elections. Section 5 not only worked to correct past injustices, but it remains essential to the continued protection of minorities’ right to vote in covered districts. I stand proudly by my colleagues in protecting all Americans' most fundamental right.”

Rep. John Conyers, Jr.: “Today, Justices of the Supreme Court heard oral arguments to consider whether Congress acted within its authority under the 15^th Amendment to reauthorize Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. At the heart of their inquiry was the record compiled by Congress in determining that the preclearance provision of Section 5 is still necessary to protect minority voting rights in the 21^st Century.

“Justice Kennedy echoed the Supreme Court’s hint in the 2009 case, Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 v. Holder, that Section 5 may be unnecessary because ‘times have changed.’ However, questions from Justices Sotomayor, Breyer, Kagan, and Ginsburg seemed to suggest that although times have changed, eliminating Section 5 and relying upon Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act was not enough. The justices suggested that the number of voting changes blocked in covered jurisdictions and the record before Congress strongly suggested otherwise. In 2006, Congress found that attempts to disenfranchise voters are still being made in the 21^st Century. Congress came to this conclusion after it had amassed a record of over 15,000 pages, 20 hearings, and testimony of over 90 witnesses.

“A majority of the justices also questioned whether the facts in this case were appropriate as a facial challenge to the Voting Rights Act, as opposed to an applied challenge to the law. This case presented a ripe opportunity for the Justices to question why Shelby County challenged the Constitutionality of the law, rather than seeking the bailout process created by Congress for covered jurisdictions with clean records. Congress created the process of bailout for jurisdictions with a clean record to be released from Section 5 coverage.

“A clean record is far from what Shelby County has. Since 1982, Alabama has had up to 240 discriminatory voting laws blocked by Section 5 objections, and Shelby County has had a voting law blocked as recent as 2008. However, Shelby County has not applied for bailout. Instead Shelby County has gone to the court and asked the Court to invalidate Section 5, which is like trying to kill a fly with a sledge-hammer.

“Shelby County wanted the Justices to ignore their record of blocked voting changes, and as Justice Sotomayor stated, ‘what you’re asking us to do, which is to look at the record of all the other states or all the other counties [instead].’ Likewise, Justice Kagan rightly pointed out that although Shelby County argued that Section 2 of the Act was an adequate remedy, the Justice proposed that if Section 2 were the standard under a new formula created by Congress, Alabama would be the ‘number one state on the list’ and ‘number two state on the list’ in Section 5 violations.

“Section 5 is a part of a Constitutional imperative set by the 15^th Amendment to ‘enforce by appropriate legislation’ laws that ‘deny a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen’s race, color, or previous condition of servitude.’ Although Justice Scalia mischaracterized Congress’s work under Section 5 as the “perpetuation of racial entitlements,” we believe the Court will continue to give ‘deference to the considered judgment of the People’s elected representatives.’ Congress continues to find that racial discrimination in voting is present, and remains concentrated in places, like Shelby County.

“The precedent set by the court is clear: Congress gets to define the problem. The Voting Rights Act and the careful study of discrimination conducted by the Congress deserves the Court’s continued deference.”

Conyers Salutes Rosa Parks as a Civil Rights and Voting Rights Icon

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:46:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, civil rights icon Rosa Parks was honored by having a statue dedicated in her honor within Statuary Hall inside of the United States Capitol. Following his participation in the ceremony, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“Rosa Parks was a champion of civil rights, an advocate for peace, and a dear friend,” said Conyers.

“While quiet in demeanor, through her steadfast devotion to universal human rights, Mrs. Parks was a powerful voice for racial equality and societal reform through non-violence. She embodied the love of both humanity and freedom, from her decades-long work advancing civil rights, to her time spent in my office serving the Detroit community.

“I find it ironic that on the day we are honoring Mrs. Parks, the Supreme Court is hearing a case challenging the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act from a county in Alabama. Under these circumstances, we are powerfully reminded that the statue dedicated today stands not only for the dedication and life-work of Mrs. Parks. The statue also reminds us of the unfinished work we have in achieving full equality under the law and in guaranteeing the right to vote of every American everywhere within the country.”

Conyers Statement at Oversight Hearing on Drones

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:56:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – This morning, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee oversight hearing entitled, “Drones and the War on Terror: When Can the U.S. Target Alleged American Terrorists Overseas?” Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) delivered the following statement during his opening remarks:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I very much appreciate that our Committee is examining such a pressing matter: the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, or ‘drones,’ to strike at suspected terrorists abroad.

“Let me be clear: the House Judiciary Committee has direct jurisdiction over this issue. We are the Committee in the best position to assess the serious constitutional and civil rights questions presented by the drone program. Our Committee also has direct oversight of the Department of Justice, which has issued legal opinions, albeit classified, that purport to establish the legal basis for the use of lethal force against terrorist suspects.

“Over the course of the 112^th Congress, I, along with my colleagues Representatives Jerry Nadler and Bobby Scott, wrote several letters to Attorney General Eric Holder asking him to share those legal opinions with the Committee. These letter requests were made on January 18, 2012, May 21, 2012, and December 4, 2012. Although we did not receive the requested memoranda, the Justice Department did provide us with a copy of the recently-publicized white paper on the targeted killing of U.S. citizens. Unfortunately, the white paper raises more questions than it answers, and does little to address our concerns regarding the broader use of lethal force against terrorist suspects. On February 8, 2013, Chairman Goodlatte and I, together with Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner, Trent Franks, Jerry Nadler, and Bobby Scott, wrote to President Obama to renew our request for all legal opinions related to the drone programs.

“I am pleased that we have reached a clear, bipartisan consensus on this issue: this Committee requires those documents to fulfill its oversight responsibilities, and we will work together to convince the Administration to satisfy our request.

“The need for oversight is clear. I am not convinced, as the title of the hearing may suggest, by the Administration’s legal rationale for the targeted killing of a United States citizen overseas. The white paper describes a balancing test for Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights tilted so far in favor of government interests that a potential target appears to have little chance at meaningful due process when he is nominated to the so-called ‘kill list.’

“I also remain unconvinced about the targeted killing of terrorist suspects who are non-citizens. Although the Administration appears to rest its claim of authority on the Authorization for Use of Military Force passed by Congress in 2001, it is not clear to me that Congress intended to sanction lethal force against a loosely-defined enemy in an indefinite conflict with no borders and no discernible end date.

“And I remain deeply troubled by the widely reported use of so-called ‘signature strikes,’ where suspects display suspicious activity but their identities are unknown prior to the government’s use of lethal force against them. To date, the Administration has not even acknowledged that this program exists—let alone provided this Committee with the information it requires to examine the legality of the program.

“I am, of course, aware that drones offer a relatively precise means for targeting our enemies. If used responsibly, they can limit civilian casualties and do so without putting additional American troops in danger. But we must be mindful that the rest of the world is watching us.

“In a recent interview, General Stanley McChrystal—the principal architect of U.S. counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan—reminded us that ‘the resentment created by American use of unmanned strikes . . . is much greater than the average American appreciates.’ He continued, ‘They are hated on a visceral level, even by people who have never seen one or seen the effects of one.’

“No matter how far removed we are from the battlefield, we must remember that it still feels like war when the missiles strike. And, the United States will not be the only nation with this tactical capability for much longer. Accordingly, the decisions we make—the process this Committee finds necessary before our government may lawfully kill a suspected terrorist, whether or not that suspect is a citizen—will set the example for those who follow.

“I thank the Chairman, and I yield back.”

Reps. Moore, Conyers and Slaughter Introduce VAWA That Protects LGBT, Native American, Immigrant, Campus and Sex Trafficking Victims

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:38:00 +0000

Bipartisan Senate Version Of VAWA Deserves A Vote In House

WASHINGTON – Today, Representatives Gwen Moore (D-WI), John Conyers (D-MI), and Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY), introduced the Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act as an amendment to fix the partisan and discriminatory proposal put forth this week by House Republicans. The Senate’s version, which passed by a strong bipartisan vote of 78-22, extends the law’s crucial protections to LGBT, Native American and immigrant victims, provides for more rape kits as well as a national registry of forensic evidence from sexual assault cases, strengthens criminal anti-trafficking statutes, provides for temporary housing for victims and addresses domestic violence on American college campuses. Moore, Conyers and Slaughter urged members to support the bipartisan, inclusive Senate version of VAWA, instead of the partisan Republican proposal, which was written behind closed doors and waters down crucial protections against domestic violence.

“These games must end,” said Rep. Moore. “Republicans have introduced their version of VAWA, under the Senate bill number and the Senate title. I guess they thought no one would notice their bill fails to adequately protect LGBT, Native American, campus and sex trafficking victims and actually weakens current law. Their bill title may say VAWA, but it is far from the Senate bill that works to protect all victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking and passed with a strong bipartisan vote. Today I joined Representatives Conyers and Slaughter to introduce the real VAWA – the Senate VAWA. We have the support; we are waiting on Republican leadership to bring our VAWA bill to the floor for a vote.”

“The Senate has passed a strong bipartisan bill that contains critical protections for all victims of domestic violence,” said Rep. Conyers, Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee. “The House, and victims of domestic violence deserve an up or down vote on this critical legislation. But instead the House Majority is playing politics and pushing through a partisan version of VAWA that they know is dead on arrival in the Senate. It’s time for the House Republicans to join their colleagues in the Senate and stand up for all victims.”

“We’ve heard no explanation for why the Republican Majority is opposed to protecting the lives and persons of anyone in the United States from domestic violence,” said Rep. Slaughter, Ranking Member on the House Rules Committee. “As an original author of the Violence Against Women Act, it never crossed my mind that this law would ever be used as a vehicle for discrimination. The bipartisan Senate proposal deserves an up-or-down vote in the House, but unfortunately, we anticipate another closed rule on a discriminatory, partisan version of this landmark law, which has been responsible for reducing domestic violence incidents by over 60 percent since its passage.”

***Below, please find a fact sheet prepared by the House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff comparing the bipartisan, inclusive Senate version of VAWA with the partisan, discriminatory House Republican version of VAWA.

House Republican VAWA Weakens S. 47

Partisan Substitute Deletes Critical Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence

This week, the House will consider a substitute version of S. 47, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. While the bill has been noticed as S. 47, the version before the House is significantly different than the legislation that passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 78 to 22 and with the support of all Democrats, all female Senators, and a majority of Republicans. The Senate passed bill incorporates years of analysis of the problem, and solutions proposed by law enforcement, victims, and victim service providers. The House bill does not.

Rather than allow the House to take an up or down vote on the bipartisan Senate passed bill, the House Republican Majority is pushing through legislation that will pick and choose which victims of domestic violence are deserving of protection. The proposed House VAWA substitute is a Washington-based solution created without participation from people who work with victims in the field and without any input from House Democrats. Notably, the House substitute omits protections for LGBT victims by removing all references to “gender identity” and “sexual orientation,” despite clear evidence revealing that domestic and sexual violence affects LGBT victims at equal or greater levels than the rest of the population.

In addition, the House VAWA substitute significantly weakens the protections for Native American women. Rather than give tribes the authority they need to protect Indian women, the House substitute limits tribes to charging an abuser with misdemeanors punishable by no more than one year in prison, even if the abuser has committed rape, a vicious assault, or another serious violent crime.

The Republican substitute for VAWA also limits important protection for immigrant victims. Among other problems, the legislation fails to include a Senate provision making “stalking” one of the crimes that would allow a victim to get a U visa. Unlike the Senate bill, the House bill also jeopardizes foreign fiancés by omitting critical protections and enforcement mechanisms designed to properly regulate international marriage brokers.

Apart from these problems, the House Republican substitute of VAWA makes campuses less safe by eliminating important provisions in S. 47 that strengthened programs that help combat and prevent violent sexual crimes on college campuses. The House Republican substitute eliminates the SAFER Act, which would provide law enforcement with the critical resources it needs to ensure that perpetrators of sexual violence are brought to justice. The Republican substitute removes the bipartisan reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act which provides essential protections for victims, as well as tools and resources for victims service providers and law enforcement.

Due to these concerns, the House Republican substitute is opposed by groups including the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women, the National Congress of American Indians, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and members of the Senate.

Conyers and Moore: House Republican Version of VAWA Turns Back on Victims of Violence

noreply@blogger.com (beverly tran) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 23:46:00 +0000

(WASHINGTON) – Today, the Republican leadership announced they will bring their version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization to the House Floor next week. As opposed to S. 47, which passed the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 78 to 22 last week, the House Republican version of VAWA omits protections for the LGBT, Native women, and immigrant communities. It also excludes provisions that combat sex trafficking, and that would have helped law enforcement address the backlog in DNA evidence kits. The GOP version is being brought to the House Floor in the complete absence of committee action and without the consultation of House Democrats. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) issued this statement following the introduction of the bill:

Rep. John Conyers, Jr: “The House Republican version of VAWA is evidence that the Majority continues to pick and choose which victims of domestic violence are deserving of protection. The Senate has passed a strong bipartisan bill that contains critical protections for all victims of domestic violence, but House Republicans are reverting back to partisan politics by pushing through a bill that will not pass the Senate. We should be seeking ways to expand and improve upon the historic Violence Against Women Act, not limit its ability to protect innocent victims.”

Rep. Gwen Moore: “The saying goes, ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.’ This is the second time House Republicans have trotted out this VAWA Trojan Horse, only to try and gut critical provisions from the real VAWA that House Democrats proposed and a large bipartisan majority of the Senate passed. House Republicans have once again introduced a partisan bill that refuses to acknowledge the needs of all victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and stalking. There are too many women waiting on vital domestic violence services. It is time for House Republicans to end this charade and allow a vote on the comprehensive VAWA that passed the Senate earlier this month.”