John Conyers actually said...

"a fundamental principle of our criminal justice system is that an individual should not be subjected to prosecution and conviction unless he or she intentionally engages in wrongful conduct or conduct..."

"the lack of mens rea standard presents a real risk that truly innocent individuals may be wrongly convicted and punished."

"Unfortunately, Congress has increasingly strayed from this basic principle as evidenced by the fact that federal criminal law is no longer limited to crimes that are readily recognizable."

"The omission of mens rea essentially sets citizens up to be ambushed."