CONYERS: House Judiciary Committee To Consider Sessions' Recusal and Comey Firing Resolution

Washington, DC – On Wednesday, July 26, 2017, the House Judiciary Committee will consider Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and David Cicilline’s (RI-01) resolution of inquiry requesting the Trump Administration to release any and all information pertaining to Attorney General Sessions’ involvement in the firing of FBI Director James Comey in violation of his recusal and related matters. The full text of the Resolution of Inquiry can be found, below.

Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr., issued the following statement:

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

“The Majority has shown itself to be in complete lockstep with President Trump.  Rather than talk about a crisis at the Department of Justice, our colleagues would rather re-litigate the 2016 election and question the credibility of a long list of public servants who no longer work for the government.

“There is simply no excuse for our Committee’s failure to hold a single oversight hearing on these matters.  Their attempt to hide behind stale conspiracy theories is both tone deaf and counterproductive.  It makes the Majority complicit in the actions of President Trump and his associates.

“I am disappointed that the Republicans denied us an opportunity to debate our resolution, but we will not be deterred.  Whether the crisis comes to the Committee or the Committee comes to the crisis, we will conduct oversight of the Trump Administration.”

BACKGROUND:  A resolution of inquiry is a legislative tool that has privileged parliamentary status, meaning it can be brought to the floor if the relevant committee hasn’t reported it within 14 legislative days, even if the Majority leadership has not scheduled it for a vote.

House Judiciary Committee Democrats have long been calling for House Judiciary Republicans to provide proper oversight over Trump and his Administration. Democrats have written to Chairman Goodlatte four times to request hearings on Russian interference with the 2016 election, potential collusion with Russia, the firing of James Comey and Attorney General Sessions’ recusal. 

 Democrats have also sent several letters to Speaker Paul Ryan, the Department of Justice and the White House requesting related information. 

Despite Judiciary Republicans’ attempts to block Democratic efforts, resolutions of inquiry should be the proper next step in the Committee’s oversight of the Trump Administration.  House Judiciary Republicans have so far blocked Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s (D-NY) resolution of inquiry and Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Ted Lieu’s (D-CA) resolution of inquiry, from reaching the House floor.  

House Judiciary Committee Resolution Of Inquiry Requesting Trump Administration To Release Information On S... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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More Than 100 Members Of Congress Call For DHS Briefing This Week On Trump Muslim Ban Executive Order

Washington, DC– More than 100 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, led by House Judiciary Committee Member Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), and House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), wrote to the Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly condemning the President’s Muslim ban executive order and calling for a full Member-wide briefing no later than Friday, February 3, 2017.

In their letter, the Members wrote, “We hope you will urge the President to immediately rescind the Executive Order, which has created profound chaos and fear among refugees and immigrants who have been admitted to the United States, as well as their families. As a nation of immigrants that has been a refuge for people fleeing persecution from around the world, these actions are contrary to who we are as a nation.”

On Tuesday, Secretary Kelly briefly met on the hill with a few select Committee Chairmen and Ranking Members. The Members are calling for a full Member-wide briefing on the Executive Order this week, writing, “Given the urgency, widespread confusion and dangerous impact of the Executive Order, we would appreciate hearing from you as quickly as possible so that we may ensure the briefing occurs by no later than Friday, February 3.  The lives and well-being of many individuals, as well as our ability to partner with foreign governments to fight terrorism, depends on it.”

More Than 100 Members Of Congress Call ForDHS Briefing On Trump Muslim Ban Executive Order Letter 2-1-2017 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Signators of the letter:
1. Rep. John Conyers, Jr,
2. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Rep.,
3. Rep. Pramila Jayapal,
4. Rep. Pete Aguilar,
5. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán,
6. Rep. Karen Bass,
7. Rep. Joyce Beatty,
8. Rep. Donald S. Beyer, Jr.
9. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.,
10. Rep. Earl Blumenauer
11. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici,
12. Rep. Robert A. Brady
13. Rep. Anthony Brown,
14. Rep. G.K. Butterfield,
15. Rep. Salud Carbajal,
16. Rep. Tony Cárdenas,
17. Rep. Joaquin Castro
18. Rep. Judy Chu,
19. Rep. David N. Cicilline,
20. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke,
21. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay
22. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver,
23. Rep. James E. Clyburn,
24. Rep. Steve Cohen,
25. Rep. Jim Cooper,
26. Rep. Luis J. Correa,
27. Rep. Joseph Crowley
28. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings
29. Rep. Susan A. Davis,
30. Rep. Peter A. DeFazio,
31. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro,
32. Rep. Suzan K. DelBene
33. Rep. Theodore E. Deutch,
34. Rep. Debbie Dingell
35. Rep. Lloyd Doggett,
36. Rep. Keith Ellison,
37. Rep. Elliot L. Engel,
38. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo,
39. Rep. Adriano Espaillat,
40. Rep. Dwight Evans,
 41. Rep. Marcia L. Fudge,
42. Rep. Ruban Gallego
43. Rep. John Garamendi,
44. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva,
45. Rep. Luis Gutierrez,
46. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa,
47. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings,
48. Rep. Denny Heck
49. Rep. Jarred Huffman,
50. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee,
51. Rep. Hakeem S. Jeffries,
52. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson
53. Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr.,
54. Rep. Marcy Kaptur,
55. Rep. Robin L. Kelly,
56. Rep. Derek Kilmer,
57. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi,
58. Rep. Ann M. Kuster
59. Rep. Rick Larsen,
60. Rep. Barbara Lee,
61. Rep. Sandy Levin,
62. Rep. John Lewis,
63. Rep. Nita M. Lowey,
64. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch,
65. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney,
66. Rep. Doris O. Matsui,
67. Rep. Donald A. McEachin,
68. Rep. James P. McGovern
69. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks
70. Rep. Gwen Moore,
71. Rep. Seth Moulton,
72. Rep. Stephanie Murphy,
73. Rep. Jerrold Nadler,
74. Rep. Richard E. Neal
75. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.,
76. Rep. Jimmy Panetta,
77. Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr.
78. Rep. Collin C. Peterson
79. Rep. Chellie Pingree,
80. Rep. Mark Pocan,
81. Rep. Jared Polis
82. Rep. Mike Quigley,
83. Rep. Jamie Raskin,
84. Rep. Cedric L. Richmond,
85. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard,
86. Rep. C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger,
87. Rep. Bobby L. Rush,
88. Rep. Linda T. Sanchez,
89. Rep. John P. Sarbanes,
90. Rep. Adam B. Schiff
91. Rep. Bradley Scott Schneider
92. Rep. Bobby Scott,
93. Rep. Terri Sewell,
94. Rep. Jan Schakowsky,
95. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter,
96. Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter,
97. Rep. Adam Smith,
98. Rep. Darren Soto,
99. Rep. Thomas R. Souzzi,
100. Rep. Jackie Speier,
101. Rep. Eric Swalwell,
102. Rep. Mark Takano,
103. Rep. Bennie Thompson
104. Rep. Paul D. Tonko,
105. Rep. Norma J. Torres,
106. Rep. Niki Tsongas,
107. Rep. Marc Veasy,
108. Rep. Filemon Vela,
109. Rep. Nydia Velsaquez,
110. Rep. Timothy J. Walz
111. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz,
112. Rep. Maxine Waters
113. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman,
114. Rep. John A. Yarmuth

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