U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary

Releases and Advisories

11/06/2009 - Loopholes for Illegal Immigrants Remain in House Healthcare Bill
Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith issued the following statement in response to the Democrats’ latest healthcare bill, H.R. 3962. The legislation contains loopholes that will allow illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer-funded benefits.

11/06/2009 - Lost: 190,000 Jobs Last Month. Found: Seven Million Jobs for Citizens and Legal Immigrants
Washington, DC – As the administration announced that the unemployment rate hit 10.2% and 190,000 jobs were lost last month alone, Ranking Member Lamar Smith (TX-21) released a letter that he and 21 other Members of Congress sent earlier this week to White House. The members recommend enforcing current immigration laws to open as many as seven million jobs for citizens and legal immigrants.

11/02/2009 - Republicans Call for Hearing on ACORN
Washington, D.C. – Judiciary Committee Republicans today sent a letter to Chairman John Conyers calling for a hearing on ACORN. Specifically, Republican members expressed concern about allegations of voter registration fraud and activities that undermine the integrity of our election process.

10/27/2009 - 54 Members of Congress to Obama: We Support 287(g) Program
Washington, DC – Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) and 53 other Members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama today expressing their support for a broadly-applied 287(g) program. The letter comes just days after the Obama administration implemented limits on state and local law enforcement agencies who participate in the 287(g) program. The limits prevent state and local law enforcement officers from arresting many of the illegal immigrants with whom they come into contact.

10/22/2009 - Voting Rights Act Not a Partisan Tool
Washington, D.C. — House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder calling for Justice Department employees to brief Judiciary staff and provide all documents related to the Department’s actions. Ranking Member Smith requested a response by November 6, 2009.

10/21/2009 - PATRIOT Act Should Not be Weakened
Washington, D.C. — House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today issued the following statement in response to Democrats' PATRIOT Act reauthorization bill that weakens America's anti-terror laws:

10/19/2009 - Enforce Federal Marijuana Laws
Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today responded to the Justice Department’s guidance directing federal prosecutors to no longer investigate or prosecute medical marijuana distributors in states where it is legal as long as the distributors are in compliance with state regulations. According to the Obama administration, federal prosecutors have better things to do.

10/14/2009 - Democrat Amnesty Plan at Odds with Will of the American People
Washington, DC – Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) responded today to the outline of the Democrats’ mass amnesty proposal. The outline does not hold any surprises and lays out the same vision for amnesty that President Obama and the Democrats have promised to the illegal immigrant lobby.

10/09/2009 - CBO Study Shows Significant Savings from Tort Reform
Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today praised a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report regarding the impact of tort reform on health care costs.

10/07/2009 - DHS Funding ACORN is Inexcusable
Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today criticized the Department of Homeland Security’s “profound lack of judgment” in awarding $1 million in taxpayer dollars to ACORN. According to media reports, the funds authorized by Congress were intended for firefighters across the country.

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