Judiciary Committee of the the United States House of Representatives
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The Judiciary Committee of the the United States House of Representatives or simply known as the House Judiciary Committee is the main legislative committee in the House that deals with legislation relating to matters of the Federal Judiciary. Because Democrats control the House of Representatives they are the majority party in the committee, and Republicans are the minority. The Chairman of the committee is John Coyners a long-time Democrat from Michigan, and the ranking Republican member is Lamar Smith from Texas.
History
The Judiciary Committee has been known as the lawyers for the House of Representatives because of its jurisdiction over matters relating to the administration of justice in federal courts, administrative bodies, and law enforcement agencies. The committee may not be as well-known as the Senate Judiciary Committee (which approves the nominations of Federal Judges), but the committee plays an important role in impeachment proceedings which has warranted much attention to the committee[1].
On June 3, 1813, a standing committee on the Judiciary was established by the House of Representatives to consider legislation relating to judicial proceedings. Since then, the committee's scope has expanded to include not only civil and criminal judicial proceedings and Federal courts and judges, but also issues relating to bankruptcy, espionage, terrorism, the protection of civil liberties, constitutional amendments, immigration and naturalization, interstate compacts, claims against the United States, national penitentiaries and prisons, Presidential succession, antitrust law, revision and codification of the statutes of the United States, state and territorial boundary lines and patents, copyrights and trademarks. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the House Judiciary Committee's oversight has expanded to include responsibility for the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. Hearings on legislation including the Patriot Act have emphasized the Committee’s pursuit of the appropriate balance between constitutional rights and national security[1].
Due to the legal nature of the committee’s work, it has been customary for members of the committee to have law degrees or have worked in the legal profession in some way like an attorney, judge, or legal clerk. Issues including intellectual property, cloning, and the internet, require committee members to possess a wide breadth of knowledge in order to effectively address concerns from these and other areas which gives the House Judiciary Committee an unique distinction from other committees in the House of Representatives. The committee’s weighty agenda has frequently placed it in a central role in American politics, most notably during its consideration of impeachment charges against presidents of the United States in both 1974 and 1998[1].
Assignment to the Committee
Members of the House Judiciary Committee are chosen every two years by the leaders of each respective party as the Speaker of the House and the House Minority Leader assign members to the full committee every two years as all members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years.
Duties of the Committee
The House Judiciary Committee has a separate and different set of responsibilities than the Senate Judiciary Committee as the Senate has the exclusive authority to authorize all Federal Judge nominations as a key difference. The committee is also responsible for deciding which bills affecting Federal courts are debated on the floor of the House of Representatives[2].
The Duties of the Committee are in regard to Legislation and issues involving:
- The Federal Judiciary and judicial proceedings, civil and criminal.
- Administrative practice and procedure in Congress.
- Apportionment of Representatives.
- Bankruptcy, mutiny, espionage, and counterfeiting.
- Civil liberties.
- Constitutional amendments to the Constitution of the United States
- Criminal law enforcement Legislation and Aid to Local Law Enforcement.
- Federal courts and judges, and local courts in the Territories and possessions.
- Immigration policy and non-border enforcement.
- Impeachment Inquiries of Federal Officials.
- Interstate compact.
- Civil claims against the United States filed in Court.
- Members of Congress, attendance of members, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner; and their acceptance of incompatible offices.
- National penitentiaries and prisons
- Patents, the Patent and Trademark Office, copyrights, and trademarks.
- Presidential succession.
- Protection of trade and commerce against unlawful restraints, tariffs, and monopolies.
- Revision and codification of the Statutes of the United States.
- State and territorial boundary lines.
- Subversive activities affecting the internal security of the United States[2].
Legislation referred to the Committee
Any legislation that carries a possibility for criminal or civil penalties can be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, so its legislative workload is substantial. Also, the committee can play a huge role in determining impeachment of a certian number of Federal officials listed in the laws of the United States which can be impeached. In the event of an impeachment, the Judiciary Committee can at anytime hire independent counsel to represent the United States at taxpayer expense[1].
Also, any issues in Congress that need legal explanation are also referred to the House Judiciary Committee[1].
Members of the House Judiciary Committee
Members of the 2011-2012 (112th) Congress:
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Democratic members
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Republican members
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Subcommittees and members
There are issue-specific subcommittees within the House Judiciary Committee. The duties of subcommittees are to refine legislation that is issue specific to the duties of the House Judiciary Committee if a bill is referred by the full committee. It is up to the subcommittee when refining the legislation to send the bill back to the full committee which in turn makes its final approval for a hearing on the floor of the House of Representatives[3].
Courts and Competition Policy
This subcommittee is responsible for dealing with legislation in regards to copyright, patent and trademark laws, information technology, administration of the US Courts System, Federal Rules of Evidence, Civil and Appellate Procedure in Federal Courts, Judicial ethics, and other other appropriate matters as referred to by the Chairman of the committee and relevant oversight[3].
Democrat Members
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Republican Members
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The Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
This subcommittee is responsible for dealing with legislation in regards to Federal constitutional amendments, constitutional rights, federal civil rights, ethics in government, other appropriate matters as as referred by the Chairman of the committee and relevant oversight[3].
Democrat Members
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Republican Members
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Commercial and Administrative Law
This subcommittee is responsible fore dealing with legislation in regards to bankruptcy and commercial laws, bankruptcy judgeships, administrative law, the appointment of independent counsel, state taxation affecting interstate commerce, interstate compacts, and other appropriate matters as referred by the Chairman of the committee and relevant oversight[3].
Democrat Members
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Republican Members
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Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
This subcommittee is responsible for dealing with legislation in regards to the Federal Criminal Code, drug enforcement, federal criminal sentencing standards, parole and pardons, internal and homeland security, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Bureau of Prisons, criminal law enforcement, and other appropriate matters as referred by the Chairman of the committee and relevant oversight[3].
Democrat Members
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Republican Members
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Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law
This subcommittee is responsible fore dealing with legislation in regards to immigration and naturalization, border security, admission of refugees, treaties, conventions and international agreements, claims against the United States in Federal courts, federal charters of incorporation, private immigration and claims bills, non-border enforcement, and other appropriate matters as referred by the Chairman of the committee and relevant oversight[3].
Democrat Members
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Republican Members
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Task Force on Judicial Impeachment
The Task Force on Judicial Impeachment is different from a subcommittee as it is only called periodically to investigate conduct by federal judges that would warrant impeachment. The Task Force is more of an oversight body of the committee with no jurisdiction to make legislation[3].
Democrat Members
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Republican Members
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Notable former members
- Keith Ellison
- Barney Frank
- Lindsey Graham now on the Senate Judiciary Committee
- Henry Hyde
- Barbara Jordan
- Mike Pence
- Chuck Schumer now on the Senate Judiciary Committee
- Charlie Rangel
See also
External links
- Official Website of the House Judiciary Committee
- Biography of House Judiciary Committee Chairman The Honorable John Conyers
- Republican Minority Website of the House Judiciary Committee
