Justice & Court Reform
As the former chair and now ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet, Congressman Johnson is the leading voice in the House on court reform -- particularly the Supreme Court. Even before the 6-3 right-wing supermajority took control of the court, Rep. Johnson proposed legislation to expand the Supreme Court (Judiciary Act); require that the justices follow a code of ethics, transparency, and recusal standards (SCERT Act); and establish term limits for justices (TERM Act). Rep. Johnson has also introduced legislation to ensure that employees of the federal judiciary have strong statutory rights and protections against discrimination and workplace misconduct (JAA).
For more on the Congressman’s work on court reform, please read below.
More on Justice & Court Reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, pressed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray for answers around gun violence, the murders in March 2021 of eight people – six of whom were Asian-American women in Atlanta – and on how the Bureau is combatting the rise of domestic terrorism, including white supremacists. Below is a transcript and video link of the exchange.
Dear Friends,
It's been busy couple of weeks here in Georgia and in Washington since I last wrote.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, held a hearing on "Civil Enforcement of Congressional Authorities" to explore the methods by which Congress can compel enforcement of its authorities, including through civil judicial enforcement of subpoenas for the production of documents and testimony. The witnesses discussed the historical context of inter-branch disputes, and the lessons learned from past (and ongoing) efforts to enforce congressional investigative authorities.
Today I convene the subcommittee for a bipartisan hearing on "Civil Enforcement of Congressional Authorities." This is an important issue for the Committee, for the institutional interests of Congress, and for the enduring strength of our constitutional system.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), a senior member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, introduced the Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act (H.R. 3744), which would provide $20 billion annually for four years ($80B total) to transit systems for their operating budgets.
| Washington, D.C. -- On June 2, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Chairman Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA) sent a letter to Spotify Founder and CEO Daniel Ek requesting information on the platform's "Discovery Mode" feature, which allow artists and record labels to identify particular songs that they would like to prioritize in Spotify's recommendations in exchange for agreeing to be paid a lower, "promotional" royalty rate. |
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressmen Hank Johnson (GA-04), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, and Ranking Member Darrell Issa (CA-50), sent a letter to Comptroller General of the United States U.S. Government Accountability Office Gene L. Dodaro seeking a review of decision-making practices at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) following descriptions of what the government argued is permissible before the Supreme Court in United States v. Arthrex, Inc.
TULSA, OK – On Monday, May 31 and Tuesday, June 1, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) – the Congressional Black Caucus Whip – visited Tulsa, Oklahoma, to commemorate and recognize the centennial of the Tulsa Massacre when a mob of white residents set fire to Black Wall Street on May 31 and June 1, 1921.
Hundreds of Black-owned businesses and homes in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, were destroyed and an estimated 300 Black residents were murdered. More than 10,000 Black residents left homeless.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, introduced H.R. 3466, The Tulsa-Greenwood Massacre Claims Accountability Act. He made the announcement this week during a Constitution Subcommittee hearing titled: "Continuing Injustice: The Centennial of the Tulsa-Greenwood Race Massacre."