Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the H.R. 394, ``Federal Courts and Venue Clarification Act of 2011.'' As a Senior Member of the Judiciary Committee, I am pleased to say that H.R. 394 enjoys strong bipartisan support and completes important work that was commenced during the 111th Congress when we considered and passed this bill in its previous form under H.R. 4113. This legislation has been a priority for Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith, Ranking Member John Conyers and the many members of this chamber who passed this H.R. 4113 in the 111th Congress. Though, we were able to pass H.R. 4113 in the 111th Congress, the Senate was unable to pass it before the end of the 111th Congress. So today, I am pleased that we have the opportunity to consider and pass H.R. 394 at an early stage in the 112th Congress and provide our Senate colleagues with ample time to pass it as well. As an Attorney and former Judge, I cannot overemphasize the importance of providing our federal judges and members of the legal profession with clear guidelines regarding issues of jurisdiction and venue. Providing our federal courts with clear guidelines on what cases they can hear under their jurisdiction and the proper venue for hearing such cases is central to the fair and efficient administration of justice in our democratic nation which is squarely based upon the rule of law. To that end, H.R.…”