[House Hearing, 119 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
MEMBER DAY
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HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2025
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Serial No. 119-40
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Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via: http://judiciary.house.gov
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U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
61-971 WASHINGTON : 2026
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COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
JIM JORDAN, Ohio, Chair
DARRELL ISSA, California JAMIE RASKIN, Maryland, Ranking
ANDY BIGGS, Arizona Member
TOM McCLINTOCK, California JERROLD NADLER, New York
THOMAS P. TIFFANY, Wisconsin ZOE LOFGREN, California
THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky STEVE COHEN, Tennessee
CHIP ROY, Texas HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, Jr.,
SCOTT FITZGERALD, Wisconsin Georgia
BEN CLINE, Virginia ERIC SWALWELL, California
LANCE GOODEN, Texas TED LIEU, California
JEFFERSON VAN DREW, New Jersey PRAMILA JAYAPAL, Washington
TROY E. NEHLS, Texas J. LUIS CORREA, California
BARRY MOORE, Alabama MARY GAY SCANLON, Pennsylvania
KEVIN KILEY, California JOE NEGUSE, Colorado
HARRIET M. HAGEMAN, Wyoming LUCY McBATH, Georgia
LAUREL M. LEE, Florida DEBORAH K. ROSS, North Carolina
WESLEY HUNT, Texas BECCA BALINT, Vermont
RUSSELL FRY, South Carolina JESUS G. ``CHUY'' GARCIA, Illinois
GLENN GROTHMAN, Wisconsin SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE, California
BRAD KNOTT, North Carolina JARED MOSKOWITZ, Florida
MARK HARRIS, North Carolina DANIEL S. GOLDMAN, New York
ROBERT F. ONDER, Jr., Missouri JASMINE CROCKETT, Texas
DEREK SCHMIDT, Kansas
BRANDON GILL, Texas
MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER, Washington
CHRISTOPHER HIXON, Majority Staff Director
ARTHUR EWENCZYK, Minority Staff Director
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C O N T E N T S
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Thursday, November 20, 2025
OPENING STATEMENTS
Page
The Honorable Jim Jordan, Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary
from the State of Ohio......................................... 1
The Honorable Mary Gay Scanlon, a Member of the Committee on the
Judiciary from the State of Pennsylvania....................... 1
WITNESSES
The Hon. Emilia Strong Sykes, Member of Congress, Ohio
Oral Testimony................................................. 2
Prepared Testimony............................................. 4
The Hon. Pat Harrigan, Member of Congress, North Carolina
Oral Testimony................................................. 9
Prepared Testimony............................................. 11
The Hon. Melanie A. Stansbury, Member of Congress, New Mexico
Oral Testimony................................................. 12
Prepared Testimony............................................. 14
The Hon. Laura A. Gillen, Member of Congress, New York
Oral Testimony................................................. 18
Prepared Testimony............................................. 20
The Hon. Lizzie Fletcher, Member of Congress, Texas
Oral Testimony................................................. 24
Prepared Testimony............................................. 26
The Hon. Dave Min, Member of Congress, California
Oral Testimony................................................. 29
Prepared Testimony............................................. 31
The Hon. Brian K. Fitzpatrick, Member of Congress, Pennsylvania
Oral Testimony................................................. 33
Prepared Testimony............................................. 34
The Hon. James C. Moylan, Member of Congress, Guam
Oral Testimony................................................. 35
The Hon. Yassamin Ansari, Member of Congress, Arizona
Oral Testimony................................................. 36
Prepared Testimony............................................. 38
The Hon. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Member of Congress, Florida
Oral Testimony................................................. 40
Prepared Testimony............................................. 43
LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC. SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING
All materials submitted for the record by the Committee on the
Judiciary are listed below..................................... 46
Several emails related to Jeffrey Epstein, submitted by the
Honorable Melanie A. Stansbury, Member of Congress, New Mexico
MEMBER STATEMENTS
A statement by the Honorable Wesley Hunt, Member of Congress,
Texas, for the record
A statement by the Honorable Susie Lee, Member of Congress,
Nevada, for the record
A statement by the Honorable Aumua Amata Radewagen, Member of
Congress, American Samoa, for the record
MEMBER DAY
----------
Thursday, November 20, 2025
House of Representatives
Committee on the Judiciary
Washington, DC
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in Room
2141, Rayburn House Office Building, the Hon. Jim Jordan [Chair
of the Committee] presiding.
Members present: Representatives Jordan, Issa, Biggs,
Knott, and Scanlon.
Chair Jordan. [Presiding.] The Committee will come to
order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a
recess at any time. We welcome everyone to today's Member Day
hearing.
You know what? Let's do the Pledge first. The gentleman
from Arizona will lead us in the Pledge. Could you all stand
for the Pledge?
All. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States
of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one
Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for
all.
Chair Jordan. I thank the gentleman. Again, we welcome
everyone today.
The Member Day is an opportunity to hear from our
colleagues who have bills within the jurisdiction of our
Committee. The Judiciary Committee has a number of very
important topics in our jurisdiction: The Constitution, civil
rights, civil liberties, immigration, crime, and functioning of
our court system. These affect Americans' lives every day.
We have several of our colleagues here this morning to
testify before our Committee and I look forward to hearing what
they have to say.
The Chair now recognizes the gentlelady from Pennsylvania
for any opening remarks she may have.
Ms. Scanlon. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for convening this
Member Day hearing, and thank you to our colleagues for joining
us today. We are looking forward to hearing your testimony and
appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the bills you
are leading and the priorities you have within the Judiciary
Committee's jurisdiction.
As the Chair mentioned, we are responsible for a broad
range of issues, including the Federal Judiciary, voting
rights, Constitutional Amendments, civil rights and liberties,
immigration, intellectual property, antitrust, and more.
We are looking forward to hearing from you, and I know that
our Committee's work will only be strengthened by hearing from
you today. So, thank you.
Chair Jordan. The gentlelady yields back. Thank you.
Without objection, all other opening statements will be
included in the record.
Chair Jordan. I would remind our colleagues to testifying
today that your written statements will be included in the
record in their entirety, and we ask that you summarize your
testimony in five minutes.
Our first witness is from the great State of--what a great
way to start. The gentlelady from Ohio, Representative Sykes,
is recognized. Go right ahead.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. EMILIA SYKES
Ms. Sykes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and to the
Ranking Member, for having this hearing today and allowing us
to talk about issues that are important to our communities, as
well as this country.
First, let me give you a quick warning to take a sip of
coffee because I'm going to discuss a topic that I love, but
often bores a lot of people. That is bankruptcy.
I would like to ask for your support on a bill I plan to
reintroduce to close a loophole that allows for companies to
use the Texas two-step. For far too long, greedy corporations
have used shady bankruptcy tactics like the Texas two-step to
avoid compensating innocent Americans that they have hurt.
By using this tactic, corporations facing a large number of
injury liability lawsuits move their corporate entities to
execute a divisive merger. This splits corporation into two
companies with the parent company taking all the assets and the
new company taking all the liability and responsibility to pay
the victims. The new company then files for bankruptcy--forcing
plaintiffs to spend years trying to receive the compensation
they deserve, while the parent company continues business as
usual.
Companies that have attempted this maneuver include Johnson
& Johnson, which faced class action lawsuits over claims that
its talcum powder caused cancer, and Georgia Pacific, which is
facing lawsuits over asbestos exposure.
When I came to Congress, I promised my constituents I would
fight for them, not for billionaires or large corporations.
That is why last Congress I introduced the Ending Corporate
Bankruptcy Abuse Act, alongside my colleague, the gentleman
from Texas, Lance Gooden, to address this very issue.
My bill, which has bicameral and bipartisan support, would
deter corporations from abusing bankruptcy protections and
ensure that injury victims can get their day in court.
I hope to continue to work with your offices to raise
awareness of this issue, hold companies accountable, and put an
end to this harmful practice.
Mr. Chair, I have worked for two bankruptcy judges as a
judicial assistant and as a law clerk. One thing that was quite
apparent was virtually every single debtor that was in
bankruptcy had medical debt. It was either what led them to
bankruptcy or exacerbated their financial situation.
I look forward to working with the members of this
community, this Committee, as well as all of Congress, to
ensure that the Bankruptcy Code works for the honest, yet
unfortunate debtor and not just for large corporations.
Mr. Chair, I would also like to discuss my bill, the Law
Enforcement Scenario-Based Training for Safety and De-
escalation Act, which I am proud to lead with Representatives
Don Bacon, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Glenn Ivey.
This is an important issue for my community. In Akron and
Canton, as we mourn the loss of Jayland Walker, who was killed
by police three years ago, and Frank Tyson, who died while in
police custody a year ago, we must work to improve
relationships between law enforcement and the community members
that they are sworn to protect to restore trust and safety.
By investing in real-world, scenario-based training, we can
give our law enforcement the de-escalation skills they need to
keep themselves and our communities safe. This training can
help officers develop the situational awareness to handle
complex, high-stake situations, such as encountering
individuals suffering from mental illness, suicidal crises, or
domestic violence, and equips them with greater cultural
situational sensitivity. It has been shown that training
officers with these skills results in fewer injuries, deaths,
and excessive use-of-force incidents for civilians and
officers.
Importantly, this bill is budget-neutral and allows smaller
communities who may not have the means to pay for such training
to do so, but it also has garnered widespread support from
stakeholders, like the Fraternal Order of Police and the Akron
Branch of the NAACP.
After the shooting deaths of both Jayland and Frank, both
communities asked what could be done to de-escalate tense
interventions between law enforcement, the officers, and the
citizens that they protect and serve. I am proud to deliver
this truly appropriate and timely bill, and I urge its passage.
Our communities and our law enforcement members are asking for
this. It is a commonsense, bipartisan bill.
I look forward to taking any questions you may have.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Sykes follows:]
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Chair Jordan. Thank you, Representative. Thank you so much.
My best to your family. Tell your dad we said hello. We
appreciate having you.
Ms. Sykes. Thank you.
Chair Jordan. The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from
North Carolina, Mr. Knott, for an introduction of our next
Member's testimony.
Mr. Knott. Mr. Chair and Ms. Scanlon, good morning.
It is my privilege to introduce my good friend and
colleague from North Carolina, Representative Pat Harrigan.
Representative Harrigan is a freshman with me. We are fortunate
to have him. He is a patriot, a veteran, a father, and a
business owner.
He is someone who has immense capabilities, who cares about
this country, and he has a very high level of expertise when
dealing with foreign adversaries to this country. He has an
important piece of legislation that deals with external
attacks.
I know he will get your full consideration, and it's my
privilege to introduce Representative Pat Harrigan to the
Committee. Thank you.
Chair Jordan. Thank you. The gentleman from North Carolina
is recognized.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. PAT HARRIGAN
Mr. Harrigan. Thanks to Representative Knott for that kind
introduction. Mr. Chair and the distinguished Members of the
Committee, good morning.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you about a bill
that goes straight to the heart of our national security. We
are facing an unprecedented wave of espionage from statutorily
designated foreign adversaries, and the response from our legal
system has been far too weak.
My bill, H.R. 4081, the Foreign Adversary Federal Offense
Act, fixes that. It creates mandatory minimum sentences of 10
years for economic espionage and 15 years for defense
espionage. It also doubles the penalties for intellectual
property theft committed on behalf of foreign adversaries. If
you steal for Beijing or some other hostile power, you should
expect to spend a long time in Federal prison.
This scale of this threat is staggering, and I would like
to lay it out for you.
In April, former Army Analyst Korbein Schultz sold missile
defense data, satellite intelligence, and deployment plans to
someone working with the Chinese Government. For betraying his
country, Mr. Schultz was paid $42,000. Despite this blatant
violation of his oath, he was sentenced to only 84 months in
prison.
In August, two U.S. Navy sailors, Jinchao Wei and Wenheng
Zhao, provided Chinese intelligence with ship blueprints,
weapon systems, and troop movements. They were trusted with our
national security, and they sold it off.
In 2022, Broadcom Engineer Kisang Kim stole more than 500
chip design files for a Chinese tech startup. He openly
admitted that he did it to help China compete with the United
States, and received only eight months in prison.
Meanwhile, the FBI estimates--and this is corroborated by
our work on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee--that
up to $600 billion in American intellectual property is stolen
every single year, almost all of it by China.
This is our innovation, our technology, and our military
advantage walking right out the door. People who spy for our
enemies can cripple our military, damage our economy, and leave
our critical infrastructure exposed. Far too often, they get a
very small fine or a far too short of a sentence.
Our current guidelines are not a deterrent. They actually
invite more theft, betrayal, and more risk. We need to make it
unmistakably clear that, if you betray your oath, violate your
uniform, or sell out our country for a few dollars, you will
face the full force of the U.S. Government.
The H.R. 4081 delivers that clarity. A mandatory double-
digit sentence will make potential spies think twice before
choosing China over their own Nation.
I look forward to working with every Member of this
Committee to get this bill across the finish line. My team and
I welcome your input and certainly welcome your support.
This is about protecting the American people and
strengthening the security of the country that we serve and
love.
Thank you for your time.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Harrigan follows:]
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Chair Jordan. You bet. Thank you, Representative. Thank you
for your service to our country. Thank you for your legislation
that you have brought forward.
The Chair now recognizes--oh, we have got a number here--
Representative Stansbury. The gentlelady is recognized for five
minutes. Go right ahead.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. MELANIE STANSBURY
Ms. Stansbury. All right. Well, good morning, Mr. Chair,
Ranking Member, and the Members of the Committee.
I want to say thank you for the opportunity to testify in
the Judiciary Committee. It is an honor to be here to discuss
that is as serious as it is urgent, and that is the ongoing
congressional inquiry into the Jeffrey Epstein case, and the
failures of the criminal justice system to hold powerful
individuals accountable.
I want to acknowledge that this Committee has taken some
significant steps to advance the discharge petition demanding
that the administration release the files, and I want to bring
some additional materials here today from the Oversight
Committee on which I serve, because so many of the issues at
play in this case are within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary
Committee, including the miscarriage of justice that was
conducted within the courts, the Department of Justice, law
enforcement agencies that failed survivors for decades.
Let me begin with this: This is not a partisan issue.
Sexual violence is not a partisan issue; justice for survivors
is not a partisan issue, and the pursuit of truth,
transparency, and accountability is not a partisan issue. It is
essential to restore trust in our institutions, especially when
powerful individuals, whoever they are, have engaged in
criminal misconduct and escaped scrutiny and prosecution.
The Oversight Committee's work is focused on four central
questions:
(1) LWhat powerful individuals were engaged in criminal
behavior?
(2) LWhy did the justice system repeatedly fail women and
girls who were groomed, raped, trafficked, and abused?
(3) LWere individuals with significant influence shielded
from proper investigation and accountability?
(4) LHow do we pursue justice today?
Questions that are surely within the clear jurisdiction and
interest of this Committee.
In recent weeks, pursuant to a subpoena, the Oversight
Committee has received tens of thousands of documents from the
Epstein estate, including more than 1,600 references to the
current President. These include emails, correspondence,
financial records, litigation documents, and statements
attributed to Epstein himself.
I want to be clear, these documents contain allegations,
including sworn statements, that must be evaluated through a
full transparent, investigative lens, and process. This is
precisely why releasing the full, unredacted Epstein files is
essential, and why this public inquiry is also essential.
Among the materials I will reference are a sexual assault
case in which Donald Trump appears to have been subpoenaed,
served, and deposed; sworn statements involving a then-16-year-
old who was recruited at Mar-a-Lago, who alleged that she was
groomed and assaulted by Epstein and others, including those
with significant global influence; emails and correspondence in
which Epstein states that Trump knew about the girls and that
minors were being recruited from Mar-a-Lago; that Trump was
present at Epstein's residence on numerous occasions, and that
Epstein possessed photographs of Trump with young girls, and
that Trump was, quote, ``the dog that hadn't barked''--a phrase
that Epstein used to suggest Trump's potential silence to
police.
The documents also reference financial transfers between
Epstein and Trump; discussion of Trump's business affairs, and
concerns about potential money-laundering through real estate
transactions--all matters that may or may not have criminal
significance and, clearly, warrant investigation.
Additionally, we have documents from the Epstein estate in
which Epstein himself assessed that he faced a mandatory
minimum of at least 10 years in prison. Yet, the Justice
Department declined to prosecute him under Federal law, despite
recommendations from his own line prosecutor. These statements
appear to directly conflict with sworn testimony that the
Oversight Committee received from U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta
just a few months ago, when he claimed that credible evidence
to pursue Federal charges was not there.
Together, these materials are a substantial body of
evidence, and it is evidence that the American people deserve
and demand to see. Justice matters because those who abused,
enabled, financed, and protected this criminal enterprise must
face the truth and must face consequences. Transparency is
essential for healing and restoring confidence in the rule of
the law, and it is essential because Congress has a
responsibility to ensure that our justice system protects
victims, not perpetrators, and that includes strengthening
victims' rights legislation that will likely move through this
very Committee.
Part of why I am here today is to advocate to please take
the partisanship out of this case. Please address the facts as
you see them before you. Please join us in this investigation,
and please help us hold these people accountable. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Stansbury follows:]
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Chair Jordan. Thank you, Representative. I appreciate you
at this hearing today.
The gentlelady from New York is recognized. Representative
Gillen, thank you for joining us today. Go right ahead.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. LAURA GILLEN
Ms. Gillen. Good morning. Chair Jordan, Ranking Member, and
the Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to
appear before you today to highlight how we can take action
together in a bipartisan fashion to save lives and prevent
tragedies.
I'm here today because of the extraordinary woman alongside
me, Georgian Cornago from Lynbrook, New York, who I'm honored
to represent here in Congress. Georgian traveled from Long
Island to join me here today to honor the memory of her son,
Giovanni ``Gio'' Cipriano, and to help me to urge our
colleagues to prevent future heartbreaking tragedies like the
one that befell her family, by passing H.R. 4019, Gio's Law.
This bipartisan legislation which I'm proud to have
introduced alongside my Republican colleague from Long Island,
Chair Andrew Garbarino, would help equip law enforcement
officers across this country with access to lifesaving EpiPens
for emergencies.
Mr. Chair, Gio was a son, a travel baseball team player, an
honor student, and a freshman at Holy Trinity High School, when
he suffered a sudden severe allergic reaction to a snack that
contained peanuts, but he didn't know it.
His heart stopped while he was being rushed to the hospital
and he left us on October 18, 2013. His passing was an
unfathomable tragedy, a devastating loss to his family, to his
friends, and to our community. Since his loss, Georgina has
channeled her grief into tireless advocacy, doing everything
possible to prevent another family from suffering such a
tragedy.
More than 32 million Americans live with life-threatening
food allergies and other severe allergic conditions.
Anaphylaxis can be triggered by food, by insect bites, or
medications--things that we come in contact with every day.
She established the Love for Giovanni Foundation and
succeeded in passing New York State's Gio's Law in 2019, which
enables police officers across the State to carry epinephrine
pens. Starting with her hometown police department in the
Village of Lynbrook, she worked to expand these programs
throughout Nassau County, Westchester County, and Suffolk
County, where just earlier this year the cops were able to save
a 72-year-old bee sting victim who was suffering a life-
threatening allergic reaction just two days after they started
stocking EpiPens in their police cars.
Thanks to the incredible work of advocates like Georgina
and other moms and activists across our community, each day
more and more police departments are carrying EpiPens in their
police patrol cars. However, these devices cost up to $600 per
use, which can make it very difficult for smaller departments
to stock them.
That is why this bipartisan bill, Gio's Law, would
establish the first-ever Federal grant program in the U.S.
Department of Justice to equip law enforcement agencies across
the country with EpiPens and to train officers on how to safely
administer them. This competitive grant program would help
offset the cost of epinephrine for qualified State and local
law enforcement agencies, just like the existing OJP and COPS
grant programs for body-worn cameras, bulletproof vests, and
other equipment and technology.
The bill would also standardize training for officers on
how to recognize the symptoms of anaphylaxis and how to
administer EpiPens. It would ensure that there are Good
Samaritan laws and safe harbor protections to protect the
police, and it would promote outreach and awareness about the
use of epinephrine.
This is a bipartisan, prolaw enforcement, and public safety
issue. Our brave police officers are often the first ones to
arrive on the scene in an emergency, and they deserve to have
the equipment they need to save lives.
I'm proud to say that this bill has been endorsed by the
National Association of Police Organizations, the Asthma and
Allergy Foundation of America, the Food Allergy Nurses
Association, and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and
Immunology.
Mr. Chair, we don't have to read about another American
losing their life to a severe allergic reaction. We can take
the steps together to end these tragedies. Let's fund our
police. Let's give them the tools that they need, so they can
continue to be heroes in our community.
I'm asking for your help to advance this critical,
bipartisan measure in memory of Gio--to better equip our police
officers, save lives, and American people.
Chair Jordan, Ranking Member, thank you all for your time.
Thank you for your work on this Committee. Thank you for
serving our country and supporting our law enforcement.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for agreeing to meet with me and
Georgian later today.
I look forward to working with all you, my colleagues on
both sides of the aisle, to pass Gio's Law. Thank you so much.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Gillen follows:]
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Chair Jordan. Thank you. Georgian, thank you. God bless
you. I appreciate your work.
We have one of our staffers who also happens to be a police
officer and travels with me almost all the time. He carries the
EpiPen because, if he gets stung by a bee, it gets serious
really quick.
We appreciate what you are trying to do there. We will look
forward to talking later. Thank you.
The gentlelady from Texas, Representative Fletcher, thanks
for joining us. You are recognized for five minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. LIZZIE FLETCHER
Ms. Fletcher. Thank you, Chair Jordan, Ranking Member
Scanlon, and the Members of the Committee. I appreciate the
opportunity to speak before you today.
When I became a Member of the State Bar of Texas in 2006, I
took an oath, solemnly swearing to uphold and support the
Constitution of the United States; to honestly demean myself in
the practice of law; to discharge my duties to the best of my
ability; and to conduct myself with integrity and civility.
I know many of you have taken a similar oath, and I know
that all of us have sworn and signed an oath to support and
defend the Constitution of the United States when we became
Members of this Congress.
That is why I'm before you this morning. As Historian
Heather Cox Richardson so eloquently explained in her book
Democracy Awakening, the Constitution established a
representative democracy, a Republic in which voters would
elect lawmakers who would represent the people. The Legislative
Branch would be a balance to a single leader at the head of the
Executive Branch. Each would prevent the rise of a tyrant on
the other side.
Congress would write all the necessary and proper laws,
levy taxes, borrow money, pay the Nation's debts, establish a
postal service, establish courts, declare war, support an Army
and Navy, and organize and call forth the militia to execute
the laws of the Union, and provide for the common defense and
general welfare of the United States.
The President would execute the laws. If Congress
overstepped, the President could veto proposed legislation and,
in turn, Congress could override a Presidential veto.
As all of us here know, the Framers created the Congress,
the House and the Senate, devising a system of representative
democracy that has endured for more than 200 years. As you
know, they enumerated a Bill of Rights as the first 10
Amendments to the Constitution.
That system, and the rights of the Americans that it
protects, has been under assault this year, and it is the
responsibility of this Congress and this Committee to protect
them. I'm sorry to say that this Congress appears to be failing
to do so.
That's why I introduced with Representative Garamendi H.R.
603, reaffirming the principles of the U.S. Constitution,
including the separation of powers and the rule of law, which
is before this Committee.
Since January 20th of this year, the Executive Branch, the
Article II branch of government, has undermined the separation
of powers enumerated in the Constitution between the Congress,
the courts, and the Executive. Under the leadership and at the
direction of President Trump, the Executive Branch has
overstepped its authority and undermined the institutions that
uphold the rule of law; that guarantee fair and free elections;
that regulate commerce; that protect public health; that
conduct oversight; that engage with people and nations around
the world--expanding the power of the Presidency to implement
dangerous and divisive policies.
From Executive Orders and actions encouraging lawlessness,
eviscerating progress for all Americans, and abandoning our
allies and our leadership in the world, the harms to Americans
are apparent now and will be for generations to come if
Congress does not act and assert its authority.
Of course, congressional spending has been on all our minds
lately, and while appropriations is the work of another
Committee, protection of the mandate that spending bills
originate in the Congress is part of the work of this
Committee.
This administration has willfully ignored that principle,
violating Federal law by withholding funding authorized by
Congress; canceling funding for Federal programs Congress
created, and that communities across the country rely on--
eviscerating bipartisan spending laws.
This administration has frozen, canceled, clawed-back, or
illegally impounded investments Congress has made in public
health, public safety, public welfare, public education, public
lands, and protection of our environment.
This House and Senate have utterly failed to respond to
this attack on congressional authority and the refusal to spend
congressionally appropriated funds. These are serious harms to
the people we represent and serious harms to our Constitution's
separation of powers.
They are matched by the grave harm to our constitutional
order that come from the President and the administration's
efforts to censure dissent; to prohibit and intimidate
Americans' peaceful assembly; to limit public participation and
freedom to associate, whether that is by joining a union or
organizing a protest; to restrain and exclude the press and the
transparency that a free press brings; and to prohibit the free
exercise of religion.
All these rights are protected by the Constitution and must
be protected by this Committee. This Committee must use its
authority to protect the constitutional system of justice and
the independence of the judiciary, as this administration
abuses its authority by intimidation, investigation, and
prosecution of its critics.
I urge the Committee and the Congress to remember its
purpose and to use its power to protect, support, and defend
the people and the Constitution of the United States. Thank
you.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Fletcher follows:]
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Chair Jordan. Thank you, Representative. We appreciate you
coming.
The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr.
Min.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. DAVE MIN
Mr. Min. Thank you, Mr. Chair and Ranking Member Scanlon.
I'm here to discuss a number of bills related to financial
conflicts of interest.
In May of this year, I introduced H.R. 3779, the STOCK Act
2.0, to address a clear conflict of interest that we have seen
far too often illustrated here, and that is congressional stock
trading.
This legislation would strengthen restrictions on
individual stock trading by Members of Congress, the Judiciary,
and the Executive Branch. Critically, it builds on the
important foundation of the original STOCK Act by improving
filing and disclosure requirements of financial reports;
increasing penalties for noncompliance, ensuring real
transparency, and accountability.
Public service is an honor, not an opportunity for self-
enrichment at the expense of our constituents. This should not
be a partisan issue. I'm pleased to see so many Members from
both parties joining on efforts to try to address this issue.
We have seen the news reports of Members of Congress,
Members of this administration, Members of the Judiciary,
apparently, benefiting from access to information that
Americans, average Americans, don't have--trading on the
information we have, cheating the markets.
Now, I'm very, very reassured by the fact that Speaker
Johnson told Representative Luna that he is strongly
considering addressing this issue. Of course, a number of
legislative efforts are under discussion right now. This is
encouraging and it underscores the need for accountability
across the board.
I also want to highlight another important bill being led
by my colleague and friend, Representative Hank Johnson, who's
been at the forefront of efforts to address the ethical
challenges currently facing this Supreme Court. Representative
Johnson's Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act
would require Justices of the Supreme Court to adopt and follow
a binding code of ethics with an enforcement mechanism for
resolving ethics or misconduct complaints.
This is a crucial step for restoring the public's trust in
the highest Court. We cannot just allow them to police
themselves. There needs to be some transparency and
accountability.
Together, these two bills demonstrate a commitment to
restoring public trust, which is failing right now in our
public institutions and our government. They are making efforts
to try to ensure that all three branches of government--the
Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judiciary--
are held to the highest standards of ethics and transparency,
and that we are holding ourselves to the same standards that we
ask of people in other fields.
Building on this momentum, I'm pleased to announce the
launch of the Congressional Progressive Caucus' Fighting
Corruption Task Force. As Chair of that new task force,
alongside Vice Chair Hank Johnson, we are working right now on
efforts to elevate anticor-
ruption measures across the Democratic Caucus.
I'm excited to work with several of my colleagues on this
initiative, including Representatives Scanlon, Deluzio, Summer
Lee, and Mike Levin. Our first meeting will take place in
December, and we look forward to advancing meaningful reforms
for Congress.
We also welcome input from our Republican colleagues
because corruption is not confined to one party, and efforts to
try to rein this in should not be confined to any one political
party.
I will conclude my remarks by thanking the Committee once
again for its focus on addressing corruption and safeguarding
the integrity of our institutions. I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Min follows:]
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Chair Jordan. Thank you so much, Mr. Min. The right fine
gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized, Mr. Fitzpatrick.
Good to have you with us. Hit that button, Brian--or
Representative Fitzpatrick.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK
Mr. Fitzpatrick. There we go. Thank you to the Chair and
the Ranking Member. Thank you for your time today and for
holding this hearing.
As you continue your important work, I would respectfully
ask the Committee to address the issue of protecting our
veterans from fraud and strengthening guardrails against those
targeting vulnerable populations.
For far too often, so many of us hear from our veteran
constituents, many of whom are seniors who have been wrongfully
defrauded of their earned benefits by bad actors. Criminals
often prey on veterans' desperation by posing as facilitators,
but, instead, scam veterans out of benefits using various very,
very sophisticated methods.
Active-duty service members, National Guard personnel,
veterans and their families lost nearly 25 percent more money
to scammers in 2024 than in the previous year--with reported
losses totaling well over $580 million, according to the
consumer complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission.
To address this emergency, Representative Scanlon and I
introduced the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act. This is
a bipartisan bill that adds appropriate penalties to those
actors who knowingly defraud a veteran of their earned
benefits, subject fraudsters to a fine and/or five years in
prison.
This bill has garnered strong bipartisan support, and it is
passed out of the House of Representatives with a near
unanimous vote in the 114th, 115th, and 116th Congresses.
Individuals who defraud our veterans must be held
accountable and punished, and it is critical that the men and
women who served our Nation receive their hard-earned benefits
from the VA.
I'm proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill with
Representative Scanlon to crack down on fraudsters who take
advantage of our veterans. I look forward to continuing to work
with this Committee to answer any and all questions you all
have to advance this legislation to protect our Nation's
veterans.
I thank you for your time.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Fitzpatrick follows:]
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Chair Jordan. Does the gentlelady from Pennsylvania want
to--
Ms. Scanlon. I just wanted to thank my colleague from
Pennsylvania for continuing to sponsor the bill.
Chair Jordan. Great. The Representative from Guam is
recognized. Mr. Moylan, good to have you with us.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. JAMES MOYLAN
Mr. Moylan. Thank you, Chair Jordan and Ranking Member
Raskin. Hafa adai and thank you for hosting today's Member Day.
As the Committee considers and deliberates on Members'
requests for the end of 2025 and for 2026, I would like to
highlight two policy priorities for the people of Guam.
First, we must, as a Congress, finally deliver the
radiation survivors that have been left behind. As you know, I
have been a staunch vocal advocate for ensuring that the
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA, includes all
those who were unwil-lingly and unknowingly exposed to
radiation and developed illnesses as a result.
Since the beginning of my time in Congress, I have worked
with my colleagues across the aisle to make this proposal a
reality. While I applaud the Members of this body, the Senate,
and President Trump for including the reauthorization of RECA
in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, I must express my
disappointment and frustration that the people of Guam were
left out yet again.
For decades, our radiation survivors have fought to include
Guam as a downwinder jurisdiction. Our suffering was recognized
by the Federal Government in 2005, affirming what the people of
Guam have long known to be true.
In 2017, a survivor testified before the Senate urging
Guam's inclusion in the reauthorization language. Most
recently, with broad bipartisan support, Guam was included in
the Senate-passed Radiation Exposure Reauthorization Act.
Despite our best efforts, it was not brought forth to a vote
before the end of the 118th Congress.
Much of this language was included in the One Big Beautiful
Act when it was signed into law. However, many were excluded. I
am once again working on legislation that would rectify this
injustice.
I thank the Committee and the Chair for his continuing work
with me on it. With that in mind, I urge the Committee to
continue to work with Members representing downwind
jurisdictions to ensure we are compensated to compensate those
affected--those who were the hidden cost of nuclear testing.
Second, I ask that the Committee consider a request that
would bring parity to the territorial courts. As you are aware,
the Federal District Court in Guam, and the CNMI, and the
Virgin Islands are currently Article I courts. This somewhat
obscured fact means that, unlike District Courts in the 50
States, D.C., and Puerto Rico, our Federal Courts are not
afforded the same constitutional protection as courts organized
under Article III.
Additionally, it limits the ability for our Federal judges
to sit on the Appeals Courts and hear cases before their
respected circuits.
The conversion of our District Courts from Article I to
Article III courts would afford those who stand before it a
guarantee of judicial independence--the cornerstone of our
national and legal heritage. I urge the Committee to consider
this request and to ensure that all Americans are guaranteed a
fair trial by an independent judiciary.
To quote John Jay, quote, ``Justice is indiscriminately due
to all, without regard to numbers, wealth, or rank.''
Si yu'os ma'ase, and I look forward to answering any of
your questions you may have. Thank you.
Chair Jordan. Thank you, Representative Moylan. We
appreciate the passion you bring representing the folks of
Guam, and I know, particularly, on this issue of the
downwinders, your commitment to getting something done there.
We will continue to see if we can be helpful. Thank you so
much.
The gentlelady from Arizona is recognized. Hit that button
again. There you go.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. YASSAMIN ANSARI
Ms. Ansari. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am here to urge the Judiciary Committee to uphold its
duty to hold the Trump Administration accountable for the
massive and unprecedented abuses it is unleashing across the
entire country.
As Donald Trump carries out his indiscriminate war on
immigrants and American communities, it is essential that we
conduct thorough congressional oversight of what is happening
in detention centers like Eloy, a facility outside of my
district.
I have now visited the Eloy Detention Center three times.
What I have encountered inside Eloy is sickening. Many of the
detainees share that they do not have access to reliable basic
necessities like adequate food and water or essential medical
care when they are in crisis. This includes women who do not
have access to proper health care or feminine products.
Detainees describe to me firsthand the overcrowded, moldy
cells, being forced to participate in dehumanizing marches
outside in the Arizona heat, the AC intentionally turned off,
and then blasted on high periodically, and constant berating
from guards--conditions worse than prison. They have described
having to drink water with chlorine in it and being given used
underwear that gave them UTIs.
Right now, so many of my constituents in Arizona's 3rd
District are scared that they or their family members may be
unjustly detained and denied their basic rights; sent to one of
these internment camps without due process. This is
unconstitutional and unacceptable.
Yes, constituents include citizens, green-card holders,
DACA recipients, asylum seekers, refugees, including people,
human beings, held in ICE detention. Members of Congress
shouldn't have to pick and choose who matters or who deserves
help.
Some of the people I have spoken with in detention are
asylum seekers. Some are refugees from some of the most
dangerous places in the world who believed in the United States
as a place of refuge.
I have written repeatedly to Homeland Security Secretary
Kristi Noem and the Acting Director of Ice, Todd Lyons,
detailing my deep concerns about the inhumane conditions at the
Eloy Detention Center and demanding answers. Their responses
have been completely unsatisfactory.
I want to tell you the story of one of my constituents,
Yari Rodriguez Marquez, who has been held for the better part
of a year in ICE detention. Yari was a green-card holder,
someone here in this country legally, following the exact legal
process that we have.
I have spent hours on end now with Yari inside the Eloy
Detention Center. She is suffering from leukemia and is
extremely sick. She told me the first two times I visited her
that she vomited blood several times a week, and I witnessed it
myself in this last visit.
Watching her suffer like that without answers or a plan is
unbearable and unnecessary. She wasn't given her full test
results or medical results. That's not a mistake; it is a
bureaucracy designed to deny care and hide what is happening
inside these ICE Detention Centers.
I made clear that day that I would not leave until next
steps were set--full records, another oncology visit, and a
treatment plan. Due to the persistence of Yari, her family and
friends, my office, she was finally able to see a doctor, but
that was after 6 months of direct advocacy from a Member of
Congress. That should never have been the case, and thousands
of other detainees are being silently treated in the same way.
We must fight back against Donald Trump's racist and
authoritarian playbook. This is why I am planning on
introducing a package of immigration bills to ensure that these
abuses are permanently ended.
I urge the Judiciary Committee to do everything in your
power to do so. It is imperative for the communities and
families that we all represent. Thank you, and I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Ansari follows:]
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Chair Jordan. The gentlelady yields back. Thank you,
Representative. The Chair now recognizes the gentlelady from
Florida.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ
Ms. Wasserman Schultz. Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's good to
be back in the Judiciary Committee.
Chair Jordan. Welcome back. Welcome back.
Ms. Wasserman Schultz. It's been a few years. Mr. Chair,
Ranking Member Scanlon, thank you for the opportunity to
present two critical bills that protect the vulnerable, uphold
the rule of law, and ensure real accountability for dangerous
criminals.
First, I would like to discuss H.R. 4406, the bipartisan
Courtney Wild Reinforcing Crime Victims' Rights Act, which I
proudly co-lead with Representative Tim Burchett. It's named
for Courtney Wild, who bravely survived Epstein's cruelty and
now fights to reform a system that badly mistreated her and her
fellow survivors.
As we all know by now, in 2008, Epstein received a
sweetheart plea deal from then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta. It
now only gave Epstein and his co-conspirator immunity from
Federal prosecution, but worse, his victims weren't informed or
consulted before this outrageous deal was reached. It was a
clear violation of the intent of the Crime Victims' Rights Act,
or CVRA, passed in 2004, which specifically gives victims the
right to timely notice of any major development in the
defendant's case.
Courtney thought she had that right, too, but courts ruled
that, because Epstein's charges were not formally filed, she
and other victims weren't guaranteed these vital CVRA rights.
It's a glaring loophole that must be fixed.
While I'm grateful the Epstein Files Transparency Act
passed overwhelmingly this week, this bill guarantees
transparency beyond just one man. This bill would ensure future
survivors of such horrific crimes aren't kept in the dark and
guarantee the transparency and accountability that the CVRA
intended.
Victims deserve to be protected at every legal step, and
our job is to ensure legal loopholes don't allow criminals to
escape accountability. I urge the Committee to take up and pass
the bipartisan bill to show we support real justice and a
transparency for Epstein's survivors, but also to make sure
that all really universally agreed, we prevent anything like
this deal from ever happening again.
Mr. Chair, I would love an opportunity to come and talk to
you after the meeting at some point about this bill
specifically, because it has been out there a while and I know
there is a lot of bipartisan support for it. Thank you so much.
Second, I would like to discuss H.R. 3310, the bipartisan
Venezuela TPS Act, which I proudly colead with my Florida
colleagues, Mr. Soto and Ms. Salazar.
I'm grateful to the Ranking Member of this Committee for
his unwavering partnership on this issue as well.
This bill would redesignate temporary protective status for
Venezuelans residing in the United States. Over the last
decade, Venezuela has spiraled deeper into humanitarian,
economic, and political crisis under the criminal dictatorship
of Nicolas Maduro. Maduro's murderous brutality, brazen
election theft, and klepto-cratic corruption have precipitated
the largest peaceful refugee crisis in modern history. Over
eight million people have fled poverty, repression, and failed
communist policies, and some have made a home in America
legally under TPS, but the current President has taken that
status away.
Over 400,000 Venezuelan Americans, most of whom arrived
before 2021 during President Trump's first term, have had their
legal residency and work permits revoked. The economic impact
of this action will be devastating for South Florida and it
will drive up costs everywhere.
I proudly represent the largest Venezuelan American
community in Congress, and I would like to tell you about them.
Venezuelans are teachers, nurses, construction workers, and
firefighters. They care for elderly parents and their kids.
Many run small businesses and create jobs, and they all boost
our labor force, tax base, and consumer market.
Deporting Venezuelans means fewer jobs, less innovation,
and less funding for Social Security and Medicare, but it also
means higher health, housing, and grocery costs, not to mention
a massive waste of taxpayer dollars on detentions and
deportations.
Then, there's the moral price we pay for subjecting people
to a totalitarian regime that this administration accurately
calls corrupt, authoritarian, and hostile to human rights.
Venezuelans love America. They are patriots who cherish the
freedoms many of us take for granted and want that democracy
for their home country, too.
Many Venezuelan TPS holders have U.S. citizen children.
Trump's policy will orphan them or condemn them to hopeless
misery alongside their parents.
TPS is bipartisan. Created by Congress, Presidents of both
parties utilized it to protect people from countries in crisis,
provided that they follow the law.
TPS recipients don't get handouts. They pay application
fees that fund the system without burdening taxpayers.
This bill also doesn't shield anyone who commits a crime.
TPS holders pass repeated background checks, and any criminal
record is disqualifying.
Ending TPS doesn't stop crime. It means law enforcement
expends more resources arresting noncriminals, and that means
letting real public threats walk free.
Trump's termination of TPS doesn't just separate families;
it sends people back to a criminal regime where they will face
violence, persecution, and even death.
It is even more heinous to actively collaborate with
Maduro, an indicted cartel kingpin, to facilitate these
removals and reward him with sanctions relief. It is totally
inconceivable and contradictory to continue twice-weekly
deportation flights to Venezuela while threatening military
action that may put innocents in the crossfire.
How could the administration declare conditions in
Venezuela have improved enough to revoke TPS, while bringing
our largest aircraft carrier off their coast and considering
military action?
We cannot credibly denounce authoritarian dictators while
cutting side deals to swap immigrants for oil money.
Venezuelan TPS recipients are law-abiding families, and we
should focus law enforcement resources on real criminals, not
collective punishment. Let's pressure Venezuela's regime, not
its refugees, and let's reduce Americans' high costs, not our
highest ideals.
I urge the Committee to take up and pass the bipartisan
Venezuela TPS Act--not out of charity, but for America's
interests.
Thank you, Mr. Chair and the Ranking Member, for your
indulgence and for your time on these two bills. Now, let's
work together to protect the truly vulnerable among us.
I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Wasserman Schultz follows:]
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Chair Jordan. Thank you. I appreciate your passion on this.
[Pause.]
That concludes today's hearing. We thank our colleagues for
appearing before the Committee today.
Without objection, all Members will have five legislative
days to submit additional materials for the record. Without
objection, the hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
All materials submitted for the record by Members of the
Committee on the Judiciary can be found at: https://
docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=118678.
[all]