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
By Jacqueline Alemany
"Things have gotten worse since Rodney King and it's clear that the William P. Barr ‘let's ignore reality and get tough on protesters' approach is the wrong way to go. It was wrong then and it's wrong now," Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) told Power Up. "He is an individual who has shown such blatant disregard for the law and the Constitution. I think he will go down in history as one of the worst attorneys general ever to hold office — a man who cares nothing about making sure that the people who need protection under the law get that protection."
Pentagon has transferred $6 billion worth of surplus equipment to local law enforcement departments
Lawmakers eye NDAA to limit military gear transfers to police
Pentagon has transferred $6 billion worth of surplus equipment to local law enforcement departments
The program, which is run through the Defense Logistics Agency, dates back to the 1990s, with the goal of finding additional uses for equipment the Defense Department no longer needs, from guns, trucks and armored vehicles to tents, pants and hand-warme
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) delivered the following 1-minute House floor speech to bring awareness to the racial disparities of COVID-19 and police violence against unarmed African Americans in light of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, MN this week.
To watch, click HERE.
Madame Speaker:
"I Can't Breathe" is a poem I delivered on this floor six years ago when Eric Garner got choked out by the police.
Today, I returned to Washington to vote in support of The Heroes Act, crucial legislation to address the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. Our communities, workers and families urgently need more relief to weather the pandemic.
Many of our frontline heroes are at risk of losing their jobs, even as they risk their lives to care for us.
Today, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) voted to pass H.R. 6800, The Heroes Act.
In these trying times it is often difficult to find a bright spot, but Asian & Pacific Islander American (AAPI) Heritage Month give us the chance to do just that.
DECATUR, GA -- What happened to Ahmaud that Sunday afternoon in southwest Georgia is nothing short of a 21st century lynching. And just like in the old days, law enforcement officials and prosecutors have looked the other way and allowed the vigilantes to escape justice. The Brunswick vigilantes should be arrested and charged with murder. They are entitled to a presumption of innocence and should have their day in court facing a jury of their peers. Justice demands that they be treated no differently than if they were Black.
###
Congressman Requests Stewart Answer Key Questions on How It Is Screening, Treating Detainees to Mitigate COVID-19 Spread, Suffering
DECATUR, GA – On May 7, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) sent a letter to Matthew T. Albence, Deputy Director U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, requesting information on what steps are being taken to protect the detainees and staff at the Stewart Detention Center in southwest Georgia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
WABE News • May 6, 2020
GEORGIA CONGRESSMAN TALKS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE CORONAVIRUS ON AFRICAN-AMERICANS
The decision to open Georgia's economy is putting more black lives at risk in the state, according to Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson.
Speaking during a virtual town hall Tuesday night held by the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Johnson cited state numbers, which he called incomplete, that show a disproportionate number of African-Americans have confirmed cases and have died of COVID-19.
Thank you for all that you do as leaders of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus – you are on the frontlines of helping us through this pandemic – and I'm honored to join this evening for this important call.