2013 Press Releases

Goodlatte Statement on Gosnell Verdict (5/13/2013)
Washington, D.C. - A jury today found Kermit Gosnell guilty of three counts of first-degree murder against newborn babies who survived his abortions. The jury also found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the death of one of his female patients, Karnamaya Mongar...more

Goodlatte and Franks Seek Answers from State Attorneys General on Newborn Homicides (5/9/2013)
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.)...more

House Judiciary Committee Creates Bipartisan Task Force on Over-Criminalization (5/7/2013)
Washington, D.C. - The House Judiciary Committee today approved by voice vote the creation of a bipartisan task force on over-criminalization to assess our current federal criminal statutes and make recommendations for improvements. The task force is authorized for six months and will be led by Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner...more

Chairman Goodlatte Statement following Senate Passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act (5/6/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Today House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) released this statement following Senate passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 743)...more

Oversight, Judiciary Hold Hearing on Tom Perez's Quid Pro Quo That Cost Taxpayers $200 million (5/3/2013)
Washington, D.C. - The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory Affairs, Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), and House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution and Civil Justice, Chairman Trent Franks (R-AZ),...more

House Judiciary Committee Introduces Bill to Expand E-Verify(4/26/2013)
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today joined Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) in introducing the Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 1772) a bipartisan bill that will discourage illegal immigration by ensuring jobs are only made available to those authorized...more

Chairman Goodlatte Introduces Ag Guestworker Bill (4/26/2013)
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today introduced the Agricultural Guestworker "AG" Act (H.R. 1773) a bill to provide American farmers...more

Chairman Goodlatte Announces Comprehensive Review of Copyright Law (4/24/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Today House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) announced that the Judiciary Committee will conduct a comprehensive review of U.S. copyright law over the coming months...more

Chairman Goodlatte Releases Report on Benghazi Attack Bill(4/24/2013)
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), along with the Chairmen of the House Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight and Government Reform released their interim progress report ...more

Chairman Goodlatte's Statement on Senate "Gang of Eight" Bill(4/18/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Following the introduction of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744) by the Senate "Gang of Eight," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) released the statement...more

DOJ Agrees to Give House Judiciary Committee Legal Docs After Subpoena Notice (4/17/2013)
Washington, D.C. - The House Judiciary Committee has postponed its meeting to authorize the issuance of a subpoena to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for documents pertaining to the legal justification of drone strikes on alleged terrorists overseas, including drone strikes against U.S. citizens...more

Committee to Hold Hearing on Mismanagement at the Civil Rights Division of DOJ (4/15/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hold a full Committee hearing entitled "Mismanagement at the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice." This hearing will examine a report released on March 12 by the Inspector...more

House Judiciary Committee Notices Subpoena for Targeted Killing Legal Docs (4/15/2013)
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today noticed a meeting to authorize the issuance of a subpoena to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for documents pertaining to the legal justification...more

Subcommittee to Scrutinize Wasteful Spending at DOJ (4/9/2013)
Washington, D.C. - On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee will hold a hearing on "Luxury Jets and Empty Prisons: Wasteful and Duplicative Spending at the Department of Justice."...more

Director Morton's Testimony Doesn't Add Up (3/19/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton testified before the House Judiciary Committee regarding criminal and illegal immigrants who are priorities for removal but were released by the agency, which claimed release was necessary due to sequestration. ...more

Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Updates to U.S. Copyright Law(3/19/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m., the Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled "The Register's Call for Updates to U.S. Copyright Law...more

Chairman Goodlatte Responds to President's Labor Secretary Nomination (3/18/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Following the President's nomination of Thomas Perez as his next Labor Secretary, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) released the following statement...more

House Judiciary Committee to Question Director Morton on Release of ICE Detainees (3/18/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hold a full Committee hearing to investigate the release of criminal and illegal immigrants who are priorities for removal by U.S. Immigration and Customs...more

House Judiciary Members Introduce Legislation to Restore Consumers' Ability to Unlock Cell Phones (3/14/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), along with Representative Howard Coble (R-N.C.)...more

Chairman Goodlatte Responds to IG Report on DOJ Civil Rights Division (3/13/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Following this week's report by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General on the operations of the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division...more

Subcommittee to Look at Separation of Nuclear Families Under U.S. Immigration Law(3/13/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled "The Separation of Nuclear Families Under U.S. Immigration Law." At present, about 88,000 green cards are made available each year to the spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents but the demand is much higher...more

Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Abusive Patent Litigation(3/13/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow at 11:30 a.m., the Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled "Abusive Patent Litigation: The Impact on American Innovation & Jobs, and Potential Solutions." This hearing will examine abusive patent litigation...more

Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on 21st Century Cyber Threats(3/12/2013)
Washington, D.C. - On Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., the Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee will hold a hearing on "Investigating and Prosecuting 21st Century Cyber Threats." The hearing will examine modern-day cyber threats and our current criminal and data breach laws...more

House and Senate Judiciary Committee to Work Together to Restore Consumers Ability to Unlock Cell Phones (3/8/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Ranking Member John Conyers...more

*** POSTPONED *** Hearing on Abusive Patent Litigation(3/6/2013)
Washington, D.C. - The House Judiciary Committee has announced that the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet's hearing on Abusive Patent Litigation, which was originally...more

Leaked Doc Reveals ICE Planned to Release Thousands of Criminals (3/5/2013)
Washington, D.C. - An internal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) document obtained by the House Judiciary Committee reveals that the agency planned to release thousands of criminal aliens onto the streets to reduce the agency's costs in light of sequestration. ...more

Hearing on High-Skilled Immigration Slated for Tomorrow(3/4/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing on how to increase American competitiveness in the global economy through high-skilled immigration. The hearing will explore ideas to improve American employers' access to highly skilled...more

Judiciary Committee Chairman Announces Committee Agenda for 113th Congress (2/27/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Today House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) laid out his policy vision for the Committee in a speech before the Christian Science Monitor Breakfast...more

Statement of Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte in Support of the Academic Competition Resolution (2/26/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Today House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) delivered the following remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives in support of the "Academic Competition Resolution of 2013":...more

Chairman Goodlatte Blasts Administration for Releasing Criminal Illegal Immigrants (2/26/2013)
Washington, D.C. - According to press reports and sources, the House Judiciary Committee has learned that the Obama administration has ordered the release of an unspecified number...more

Immigration Subcommittee to Look at E-Verify's Success(2/26/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow at 2:30 p.m., the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled "How E-Verify Works and How it Benefits American Employers and Workers." E-Verify, created in 1996 and operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is a useful tool for U.S. employers to check the legal status of their newly hired employees...more

House Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing on Administration's Drone-Kill Policy (2/25/2013)
Washington, D.C. - On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hold a full Committee hearing on "Drones and the War On Terror: When Can the U.S. Target Alleged American Terrorists Overseas?" The hearing will focus on the legal issues...more

Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Proposed Airlines Merger(2/25/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled "Competition and Bankruptcy in the Airline Industry: The Proposed Merger of American Airlines and US Airways."...more

Immigration Subcommittee to Examine Temporary Agricultural Guestworker Program (2/25/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled "From H-2A to a Workable Agricultural Guestworker Program." This hearing, the second in a series of several hearings on immigration issues, will examine...more

Goodlatte and Judiciary Republicans Demand Answers from Obama on Lack of Enforcement of Nation's Gun Laws (2/22/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Today House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), along with all Republican members of the Judiciary Committee, sent letters to President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder demanding answers on the lack of enforcement of our nation's gun laws...more

Goodlatte Response to State of the Union Address (2/12/2013)
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued these comments following President Obama's State of the Union...more

House Judiciary Committee Requests Drone-Kill Legal Docs(2/8/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Today, a bipartisan group of top lawmakers from the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to President Obama requesting that the Committee be granted the opportunity to review all Justice Department documents pertaining to the legal justification of drone strikes on Americans overseas...more

Chairman Goodlatte Demands Answers from Obama on Drone-Kill Program (2/7/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Under much pressure, President Obama agreed last night to hand over, to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, ...more

Statement of Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte Full Committee Hearing on "America's Immigration System: Opportunities for Legal Immigration and Enforcement of Laws against Illegal Immigration" (2/5/2013)
Chairman Goodlatte - Good morning. Today, we hold the first hearing of the Judiciary Committee in the 113th Congress...more

House Judiciary Committee to Hold First Hearing on Immigration Tomorrow (2/4/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow at 10:15 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hold a full Committee hearing on "America's Immigration System...more

Chairman Goodlatte Applauds Court Ruling on Recess Appointments (1/25/2013)
Washington, D.C. - A federal appeals court today overturned President Obama's controversial recess appointments. The judges ruled that the appointments made to the National Labor Relations Board are illegal, and the board no longer has a quorum to operate...more

Chairman Goodlatte Announces GOP Subcommittee Assignments(1/23/2013)
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) today announced the House Judiciary Committee's Republican subcommittee assignments for the 113th Congress...more

Goodlatte Statement on Biden Task Force Recommendations(1/16/2013)
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) issued this statement following President Obama's announcement of the "Biden Task Force" recommendations regarding gun violence...more

Leader Cantor and Chairman Goodlatte Announce Reading of U.S. Constitution on House Floor (1/14/2013)
Washington, D.C. - On Tuesday, January 15, 2013 the U.S. Constitution will be read aloud from the floor of the House of Representatives. The House Rules Package (H. Res. 5)...more

Goodlatte Measure to Update Video Privacy Protection Act Signed into Law (1/10/2013)
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after H.R. 6671 was signed into law. H.R. 6671, legislation introduced by Chairman Goodlatte, amends the Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (VPPA) to allow videotape service providers ...more

Goodlatte Introduces Balanced Budget Amendments (1/3/2013)
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after reintroducing two Constitutional amendments to balance the budget in the opening minutes of the 113th Congress...more