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. – In an effort to hold the U.S. Supreme Court accountable to the American people, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) today re-introduced his Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act. The bill will require justices of the Supreme Court to adopt and follow a code of ethics, creates an accountability mechanism for these ethics by establishing advisory review by appellate court judges, places transparency standards on gifts and travel, codifies recusal standards, and requires the court to disclose lobbying and dark money interests before it.
Representative Johnson Elected Ranking Member of Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced he has secured positions as a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (T&I).
He was also elected by his peers as the ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, which he served as chairman of during the 117th Congress.
Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet in the 117th Congress, released the following statement in response to the report released on the Supreme Court’s investigation into the leak of the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) released the following statement after Attorney General Merrick Garland announced he is appointing a special counsel to investigate the handling of classified documents found at a former office and the Delaware home of President Biden.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today is the second anniversary of the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol. Congressman Johnson (GA-04) posted the following statement in remembrance of that tragic day.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) voted for common-sense legislation to guard the public trust and ensure tax laws are applied evenly and justly to every American – particularly the president of the United States. The Presidential Tax Filings and Audit Transparency Act will require the IRS to conduct an annual, publicly-disclosed audit of the President's finances.
By Paul Blumenthal, HuffPost
The Times report led to a flurry of letters between the Supreme Court, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) on the court’s failure to adopt and abide by a binding ethics code, and a push from progressive groups for Congress to hold hearings on the subject.
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who have long pushed for ethics reform at the Supreme Court, have sent multiple letters to Roberts seeking information about “Operation Higher Court” and about any court investigations that may have been opened into attempts to improperly influence justices.
Zoe Seiler, Decaturish
“The government has a responsibility to protect the American people’s liberties, rights, and freedoms, and this includes ensuring their marriages will always be recognized,” Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-4) said in a statement.
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), another member of the Black caucus, acknowledged the gambit was a long shot, but argued the high stakes justified the effort. The House will revert to Republican control in January, likely putting any voting rights push on ice for at least two years.
“This is our last opportunity to do something. So, the thinking is that we’ll take it as far as we can to try to get it passed,” Johnson said.