U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary

Statements

07/21/2009 - Still No Plan to "Safely" Close Gitmo
Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today issued the following statement in response to the administration’s decision to delay release of its plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. According to media reports, the administration announced late last night that it will not be able to reach a self-imposed deadline to develop a plan for how to deal with the over 200 terrorists currently detained at Gitmo.

07/16/2009 - Smith Still Concerned About Political Interference in Voter Intimidation Case
Washington, D.C.—Ranking Member Lamar Smith today responded to the Obama Administration’s letter on the dismissal of the New Black Panther Party case, saying:

07/15/2009 - Gutting REAL ID Harms National Security
Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Lamar Smith (TX-21) issued the following statement today in response to the testimony by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Janet Napolitano before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee regarding the repeal of REAL ID.

07/14/2009 - Don't Weaken Mandatory Minimums
Washington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime today considered legislative proposals to weaken mandatory minimum sentences that ensure consistency in criminal sentences nationwide. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) opposed the proposals, saying, “Weakening or repealing minimum penalties means fewer criminals in jail and more crimes on the streets.”

06/11/2009 - Gitmo is the Solution, not the Problem
Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) issued the following statement responding to reports that the Administration resettled four Uighur detainees from Gitmo in Bermuda. The Uighurs were cleared for release by the Bush Administration following a court order that has since been overturned by a federal appeals court. However, because the Uighurs trained at a terrorist camp in Afghanistan, there was strong opposition from Congress, law enforcement officials and the public to their release in the U.S.

06/09/2009 - Obama Administration Keeps Americans in the Dark on Gitmo Detainees
Washington, D.C. – Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today issued the following statement regarding the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainee Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani to New York for prosecution:

05/26/2009 - Judge Sotomayor's Statements Raise Concern about Bias
Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Lamar Smith today issued the following statement responding to President Obama’s decision to nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the Supreme Court:

05/21/2009 - President's Claims Completely Contrary to Common Sense
Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Lamar Smith issued the following statement responding to President Obama’s comments today regarding the Administration’s plan to close Guantanamo Bay.

04/29/2009 - Statement of Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith on H.R. 1913, the "Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009"
Statement on the House Floor, April 29, 2009

03/05/2009 - Statement of Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith on Consideration of the Rule for H.R. 200, "Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009"
Statement on the House Floor, March 5, 2009

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