News

Washington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today approved three bills to combat the growing problem of human trafficking in the United States. The Committee first approved by voice vote the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (H.R. 3530), a comprehensive anti-human trafficking bill authored by Congressman Ted Poe (R-Texas). This bill boosts support and protection for domestic human trafficking victims by increasing and streamlining law enforcement resources, enhancing victims’ services, and strengthening our laws to ensure that both buyers and sellers engaged in sex trafficking are held accountable for their crimes.

Chairman Goodlatte:  “The Security in Bonding Act is a straightforward measure that will help the federal government, subcontractors, and the American taxpayer. 

“The federal government requires prospective bidders for federal construction projects to support their bid with a variety of bonds.  These bonds guarantee payment to the federal government and to the bidders’ subcontractors should the bidder fail to perform all of its obligations. 

Chairman Goodlatte:  The United States is in the midst of a criminal epidemic and our children are the target.  We’ve been referring all morning to this epidemic as domestic minor sex trafficking.  But let’s call it what it really is – the forcible rape of children for profit. 

Washington, D.C. –The House Judiciary Committee today approved H.R. 776, the Security in Bonding Act,by voice vote.   

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) released the following statement marking World Intellectual Property (IP) Day.

Chairman Goodlatte: "When the Framers of our great nation crafted the U.S. Constitution, they saw fit to include provisions to provide for the protection of intellectual property.  They believed that if authors and inventors had the exclusive ability to use and reap a return on their creations for a limited time, then those artists and inventors would have the financial incentive to create new and exciting products that would benefit society and our economy.

Washington, D.C. – Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte today pressed the Department of Homeland Security for additional information about El Medhi Semlali Fathi who, before his recent arrest, the FBI alleges to have been planning a bomb attack on a school and a federal building. 

Washington, D.C. – The Justice Department today announced broad new criteria for federal drug offenders to receive clemency. On Monday, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Justice Department will re-assign dozens of attorneys to its Pardon Attorney’s Office to accommodate a projected surge of applications from current federal inmates for clemency. This decision was made despite the fact that the Department has limited resources and that clemency is “an extraordinary remedy that is rarely granted,” according to the United States Attorneys’ Manual commonly sourced by the Justice Department.

Washington, D.C. – Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement after a February 28th memo from John Lafferty, the chief of the Asylum Division at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, was leaked to press late last week. The memo announces a revision to the Asylum Division Officer handbook that raises the standards for “credible fear” determinations in asylum interviews in an effort to reduce increasing rates of asylum fraud.