Press Releases

House Judiciary Committee Passes Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act to Curb Lawsuit Abuse

May 14, 2015

Washington, D.C.— The House Judiciary Committee today approved H.R. 758, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) by a vote of 19-13. Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chief sponsor of LARA, praised the Committee’s approval of the legislation that will reduce frivolous lawsuits in the United States. The bill goes further to impose mandatory sanctions on attorneys who file baseless lawsuits in federal courts.

House Judiciary Committee Approves Resolution Calling on Administration to Designate Taliban as a Terrorist Organization

May 14, 2015

Press Release

Washington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today approved by voice vote H. Con. Res. 13, which asks the State Department to recognize the Afghan Taliban as a foreign terrorist organization in order to better protect national security. The Afghan Taliban provided a safe haven for al-Qaeda until U.S.

Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing on Policing Strategies

May 14, 2015

Press Release

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, May 19, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled “Policing Strategies for the 21st Century”. This hearing will examine police accountability, aggression towards law enforcement, public safety concerns related to these issues, and solutions to address these problems.

Witnesses for Tuesday’s hearing include:

House Judiciary Committee Approves FACT Act to Combat Asbestos Lawsuit Abuse

May 14, 2015

Press Release

Washington, D.C.—The House Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 526, the Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2015 (FACT Act), by a vote of 19-9. The FACT Act reduces fraud in the asbestos bankruptcy trust system through increased transparency measures. These measures ensure that asbestos bankruptcy trusts have the tools to combat fraud, which limits funds available for asbestos victims.

Following Overwhelming House Vote, Bipartisan, Bicameral Authors of the USA Freedom Act Call For Senate to Pass the Legislation

May 14, 2015

Press Release

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday urging the Senate to take up and pass the USA Freedom Act of 2015:

Goodlatte on IG Report: Secret Service Must Crack Down on Misconduct

May 14, 2015

Press Release

Washington, D.C. – The Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General today issued a report on the events of March 4, 2015 in which two Secret Service agents suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol disrupted an active bomb investigation at the White House Complex.

Goodlatte, Hensarling, Marino, and Duffy Continue Inquiry Into Mortgage Lending Settlements

May 14, 2015

Press Release

Washington, D.C.

Goodlatte & Conyers Lead Inquiry Into Foreign Airline Subsidies

May 14, 2015

Press Release

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Subcommittee Chairman Tom Marino (R-Pa.), and Ranking Member Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) led a letter signed by 15 additional Judiciary Committee Members to Secretary of State John Kerry and Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx expressing concerns over reported allegations of state-sponsored airlines receiving subsidies from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

5 Things to Know About the #USAFreedomAct

May 14, 2015

Press Release

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) discusses five things to know about the USA Freedom Act (H.R. 2048) in the video below. This strong, bipartisan legislation ends bulk collection of data, prevents government overreach, strengthens protections for civil liberties, increases government transparency, and keeps Americans safe. It was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 338-88.

Floor Statement of Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte on H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

May 13, 2015

Press Release

Chairman Goodlatte: Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, medical knowledge regarding the development of unborn babies and their capacities at various stages of growth has advanced dramatically. To give you a sense of how much technology has advanced, here’s the issue of the New York Times announcing the Roe v.