Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – The House of Representatives today approved H.R. 1123, the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act by a vote of 295-114. This bipartisan bill, which restores the exemption that allowed consumers to unlock their cell phones, is a simple, but important, fix to a serious problem that consumers face today. H.R. 1123 is supported by the Fraternal Order of Police, Competitive Carriers Association, Consumers Union, CTIA, and Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chief sponsor of the bill, applauded today’s passage.

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Congressman Randy Forbes (R-Va.) today sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking what the Department of Justice plans to do in light of a recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit that could endanger our communities by allowing criminal gang members to receive asylum in the United States or withholding of removal by simply claiming that they have renounced their membership in the gang. In the case of Martinez v.

Washington, D.C. – Following today’s Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee hearing on asylum fraud, several members of the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Gene Dodaro requesting that the agency fully investigate the cost of asylum fraud to American taxpayers.

Washington, D.C. – Today at 1:00 p.m. the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law will hold a hearing on the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2014 (SCRUB Act).

According to several estimates, the federal regulatory burden has reached $1.75-1.8 trillion or approximately $15,000 annually per U.S. household.The SCRUB Act would institute an independent regulatory review commission to examine regulations that could be repealed or amended to reduce unnecessary regulatory cost burdens on entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Washington, D.C.– House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement after being named “2014 TechVoice Champion” by CompTIA and Technology Councils of North America (TECNA), through their TechVoice partnership. The TechVoice Champion Award, which will be handed out this evening at an awards dinner, recognizes individuals who exemplify leadership in the technology sector and have championed policies that advance the country’s information technology industry and understand that the health of small and medium-sized technology firms are the backbone of our nation’s economy.

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing on fraud in the asylum system and the Obama Administration’s contribution to this problem by its refusal to enforce our immigration laws. The House Judiciary Committee recently obtained a report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that shows there has been proven or possible fraud in at least 70% of cases. Additionally, a separate DHS report shows that the Obama Administration is abusing current law by not detaining certain individuals seeking asylum. Tomorrow, the Subcommittee will hear from the following witnesses on this issue:

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and State Department yesterday issued two new exemptions to the Immigration and Nationality Act that would allow foreign nationals who have provided material support to individuals or terrorist organizations, as long as they are not part of or officially designated as a terrorist organization, the opportunity to benefit from our immigration laws. This waiver authority is limited to those who have provided “limited” material support that involves “routine” commercial or social transactions or “humanitarian” assistance, or who were subject to “substantial pressure” that does not even rise to the level of duress.