John Conyers

I am very pleased that this is a bipartisan bill, and I think that is very important.

We must be sensitive to federalism concerns.

Congress ought to have the final say when it comes to matters that affect the foreign relations of the United States.

I approach this topic with an open mind, and I hope that during the course of our discussion, the witnesses can help address a few questions.

I am just hoping that Chairman Gowdy will entertain in the future, either this year or early next, a criminal justice hearing in which we have ACLU and you as panelists before us.

Do you notice any awareness of the fact that frequently they are the most ID'd, they are most frequently arrested, most frequently prosecuted, most frequently get the longest sentences, and most frequently end up as enemies of society by…

I wanted you to comment out of your wealth of experience, Madam, on the whole 'lock 'em up and throw away the key' strategy.

We think this commitment to attending this question of youth violence in urban areas is of incredible importance.

I wanted to join in welcoming our distinguished witness, Attorney Robinson.

I always loved the title of this bill--'Hinder the Administration's Legalization Temptation Act, acronym HALT.'

Who would say that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)--that their time and resources are better spent raiding kitchens and fields to deport busboys and farm workers?

The whole idea of the regulation that you didn't like was to prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths

But there are 10 times more rules in the bill already.

But Mr. Shapiro says it is going to take longer, not just a little bit longer or just as long, but months and maybe years.

I want to thank all the witnesses.

The positive aspects of the bill identified by the section are greatly outweighed by the damage this bill would cause.

We therefore oppose the bill in its current form and, more importantly, oppose its basic approach.

H.R. 3010 would amend the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that would effectively halt agency rulemaking, undermine critical public health and safety rules.

Nothing that I have seen to date demonstrates a need to curtail the limited judicial discretion that Booker restored.

The racial factor in the American criminal justice system, which is pretty critical and is still pretty large.

The attack on judicial discretion suggests that Congress, or the Commission, who know nothing about the offense or the circumstances surrounding it, or prosecutors, who play an adversarial role in administering criminal justice, are in a…

This is an important discussion and I am glad we have a variety of former lawyers, prosecutor and others thrown in here--judges.

This provision--yes. Not only do you have to win, but under EAJA you have to effectively show that the position of the government is not reasonable.

So one of the things I think, thankfully, that has occurred in this country when lawyers are able to do it, is they provide their services to the poorest among us, the neediest, the people who are in the most difficult circumstances, on a…

But that is exactly why we have this provision in the law, is that if a pro-bono lawyer takes the case and prevails, the court can award him legal fees. You object to that?