Judiciary
More on Judiciary
July 8, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on last night’s shooting of police officers during a peaceful protest in Dallas:
"Less than a month after the mass shooting of club goers in Orlando, the Nation has witnessed yet another mass shooting. This time the targeted victims were police officers, who put their lives on the line each and every day. Last night’s shooting is especially tragic in that this ruthless, coordinated attack occurred as Dallas police officers were seen interacting collegially with peaceful protestors – the type of interaction we strive to see between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect.
July 6, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling by officers of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana Police Department:
“The recent police shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is deeply troubling and is another sad reminder of the need for stronger oversight of law enforcement practices. The video of this tragic incident raises serious concerns about the tactics used by law enforcement and highlights the need for improved evidence-based police training.
Issues:Civil RightsCrimeJudiciary
June 9, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch requesting an update on the implementation of the Death in Custody Reporting Act, which requires states and federal law enforcement agencies to report to the Department of Justice information regarding the death of any person in the process of arrest or who is otherwise in law enforcement custody, including jails, prisons and juvenile facilities. Congressman Scott sponsored the legislation in 2013 and it was signed into law by the President on December 18, 2014.
Issues:Civil RightsCrimeJudiciary
May 18, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joined by leaders from the civil rights, social justice and faith communities, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Congressman Joe Kennedy III (MA-04) today introduced legislation to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The Do No Harm Act would clarify that no one can seek religious exemption from laws guaranteeing fundamental civil and legal rights. It comes in response to continued efforts across the country to cite religious belief as grounds to undermine Civil Rights Act protections, limit access to healthcare, and refuse service to minority populations.
Issues:Civil RightsJudiciary
May 16, 2016
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I appreciate the gentleman from New York and certainly the gentlewoman from Ohio for organizing this Special Order to discuss the need for criminal justice reform.
Mr. Speaker, we have serious, fundamental problems with our criminal justice system today. For too long, policymakers have chosen to play politics with crime policy by enacting so-called tough on crime slogans and sound bites, such as three strikes and you are out, mandatory minimum sentences, and--if you get it to rhyme, apparently, it is better--if you do the adult crime, you do the adult time. As appealing as these policies sound, their impacts range from a negligible reduction in crime to actually increasing the crime rate.
May 16, 2016
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3832, the Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Prevention Act of 2016, as amended. While I support the legislation's underlying goal of deterring and preventing tax-related identity theft and tax fraud, I strongly oppose the bill's expansion of mandatory minimum sentencing.
Section 5 of the bill would expand the mandatory minimums found in Title 18 Section 1028A of the United States Code. This section of Title 18 imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for ``aggravated identity theft.'' Under section 5 of this bill, a violation of section 7206(b) of the Internal Revenue Code would require a judge to impose a two year mandatory minimum regardless of the circumstances of the case.
May 13, 2016
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I inadvertently voted NAY on passage of S. 524, as amended by the House. I strongly support S. 524, as amended by the House.
Issues:JudiciaryHealth Care
May 10, 2016
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to S. 32, the Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2015. While I support the underlying goal of combating drug trafficking, existing federal criminal laws already prohibit and punish this conduct. This bill however weakens existing mens rea standards, and therefore could lead to the application of mandatory minimums to action which the defendant did not know was illegal.
This bill therefore is a perfect example of four of the most common problems in crime policy.
February 29, 2016
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I thank the gentleman from New York and the gentlewoman from Ohio for organizing tonight's Special Order to call on our colleagues in the Senate to do their job and provide their advice and consent on the President's upcoming nomination to the United States Supreme Court.
The Constitution is pretty clear on this issue. Article II, Section 2, doesn't say the President might or the President should. It says the President shall nominate, and by and with advice and consent of the Senate, appoint judges to the Supreme Court.
There seems to be some suggestion that, if it is an election year, he ought to skip that process and let the next President make the appointment. They say there is very little precedence for a President nominating somebody in an election year.
Issues:Judiciary
February 23, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-TN) issued a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to follow-up on a request to instruct the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) to review and reconsider an opinion issued on June 29, 2007. The opinion has been interpreted to permit federally funded faith-based organizations to use the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to override statutory employment nondiscrimination laws.