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House Judiciary Committee

Standing committee
Active United States House of Representatives 118th Congress
History
Formed	June 6, 1813
Leadership
Chair	Jim Jordan (R) Since January 7, 2023
Ranking member	Jerry Nadler (D) Since January 7, 2023
Vice chair	Vacant
Structure
Seats	44
Political parties	Majority (25)   Republican (25) Minority (19)   Democratic (19)
Jurisdiction
Senate counterpart	Senate Committee on the Judiciary

The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, federal administrative agencies, and federal law enforcement entities. The Judiciary Committee is often involved in the impeachment process against federal officials. Because of the legal nature of its oversight, committee members usually have a legal background, but this is not required.

In the 118th Congress, the chairman of the committee is Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio, and the ranking minority member is Democrat Jerry Nadler of New York.

History

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The committee was created on June 3, 1813, for the purpose of considering legislation related to the judicial system. This committee approved impeachment resolutions/articles of impeachment against presidents in four instances: against Andrew Johnson (in 1867), Richard Nixon (in 1974), Bill Clinton (in 1998), and Donald Trump (in 2019).

In the 115th Congress, the chairman of the committee was Republican Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, and the ranking minority member was initially Democrat John Conyers of Michigan. On November 26, 2017, Conyers stepped down from his position as ranking member, while he faced an ethics investigation. On November 28, 2017, Jerrold Nadler of New York was named as acting ranking member.

In the 116th Congress, the House flipped from Republican to Democratic control. Doug Collins, a Republican from Georgia's 9th congressional district, became ranking member and served from 2019 to 2020. In early 2020, Collins stepped down from his leadership position when he became a candidate in the 2020 special election held to replace retiring U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson. Under House Republican rules, members must relinquish leadership positions if they launch a bid for another office. Collins was succeeded as ranking member by Jordan, who represents Ohio's 4th congressional district, but who has never taken a bar examination or practiced law.

Predecessor committees

• Claims: Functions merged in 1946
• Immigration and Naturalization: Functions merged in 1946
• Internal Security: Functions merged in 1975
  • Un-American Activities: Functions merged into Internal Security in 1969
• Patents: Functions merged in 1946
• Revision of Laws: Functions merged in 1946
• War Claims: Functions merged in 1946

Members, 118th Congress

Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 14 (Chair), H.Res. 15 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 70 (R), H.Res. 71 (D), H.Res. 502 (D), H.Res. 908 (R), H.Res. 1431 (García), H.Res. 1585 (Carter)

Subcommittees

List of chairs

Historical membership rosters

116th Congress

Sources: H.Res. 24 (Chair), H.Res. 25 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 46 (D), H.Res. 68 (R), H.Res. 903 (R), H.Res. 1037 (R)

Subcommittees

115th Congress

Sources: H.Res. 6 (Chair), H.Res. 45 (D), H.Res. 51 (R) and H.Res. 95 (D)

114th Congress

Sources:

• Resolutions electing Republican members: H.Res. 6 (Chairs) and H.Res. 17 (R)
• Resolutions electing Democratic members: H.Res. 7 (D) and H.Res. 22 (D)

112th Congress

Sources:

• Resolutions electing Republican members: H.Res. 6 (Chair), H.Res. 37 (Members)
• Resolutions electing Democratic members H.Res. 7 (Ranking member), H.Res. 39 (Members)

111th Congress

Task forces

Antitrust Task Force: 108th Congress

Chairman: Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI); Ranking member: John Conyers (D-MI)

The Antitrust Task Force during the 108th Congress existed from March 26, 2003, to September 26, 2003. All Judiciary Committee Members also served as members of the Task Force, and conducted hearings and investigations into consolidation of the Bell Telephone Companies.

Antitrust Task Force: 110th Congress

Chairman: John Conyers (D-MI); Ranking member: Steve Chabot (R-OH)

The Antitrust Task Force during the 110th Congress was established February 28, 2007, as a temporary subcommittee to examine the pending merger between XM Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. The task force operated like any other subcommittee, except that it only has a six-month term. House Rules limit each full committee to just five subcommittees, and any task force, special subcommittee, or other subunit of a standing committee that is established for a cumulative period longer than six months in a Congress counts against that total. A longer term for the task force would cause the Judiciary Committee to exceed this limit.

Judicial Impeachment: 110th and 111th Congresses

Chairman: Adam Schiff (D-CA) Ranking member: Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)

Established in September 2008, the Judicial Task force on Judicial Impeachment was to look into charges against District Judge Thomas Porteous. The investigation was not completed by the end of the 110th Congress, and it was reestablished after the 111th Congress convened in January 2009. The responsibilities of the Task Force were expanded to include the case of Judge Samuel B. Kent, leading to hearings and his subsequent impeachment by the full House of Representatives. The Task force finally voted to impeach Porteous on January 21, 2010.

Projects

• Administrative Law, Process and Procedure Project (2005–2006)

Hearings

• The Use and Misuse of Presidential Clemency Power for Executive Branch Officials (hearing) (2007)
• Equal Justice for Our Military Act of 2009, HR 569 (111th Congress) (2009). Congress holds a hearing to consider granting members of the U.S. Armed Forces access to the Supreme Court of the United States.

See also

• List of United States House committees
• United States congressional committee
• United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
• List of current United States House of Representatives committees

References

1. "The Creation of the Judiciary Committee | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives".
2. Wilkinson, Tracy (November 26, 2017). "Rep. John Conyers quits House committee post amid sexual harassment probe". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
3. Beavers, Olivia; Brufke, Juliegrace (February 6, 2020). "House Republicans move Jordan to Judiciary, Meadows to Oversight". The Hill. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
4. "Chairman Jim Jordan Announces Judiciary Subcommittee Leadership". House Judiciary Committee Republicans. January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
5. "Nadler Announces Judiciary Committee Democratic Subcommittee Members". U.S. House Judiciary Committee Democrats. January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
6. "Collins Announces Ranking Members for House Judiciary Subcommittees". House Judiciary Committee. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
7. Bachus news release Dec. 19
8. "Judiciary Task Force on Antitrust". Archived from the original on May 14, 2007. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
9. House Antitrust Task Force, Antitrust Review.com
10. Anti-Trust Panel to Examine XM-Sirius Merger United States House Committee on the Judiciary Press Release, February 27, 2007
11. Rules of the House of Representatives, Rule X(b)(C), Page 12
12. ^ "House Judiciary Committee Announces Retention of Alan Baron to Lead Inquiry into Possible Impeachment of Judge Porteous" (Press release). U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary. October 2, 2008. Archived from the original on June 25, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2009.
13. ^ "House panel moves toward impeaching a judge". Associated Press. September 18, 2008. Retrieved June 27, 2009.
14. Conyers, John Jr. (January 6, 2009). "H. Res. 15: Authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire whether the House should impeach G. Thomas Porteous, a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved June 27, 2009.
15. Conyers, John Jr. (May 29, 2009). "H. Res. 424: Authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire whether the House should impeach Samuel B. Kent, a judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved June 27, 2009.
16. "Victims allege years of sexual misconduct by federal judge". CNN. June 3, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2009.
17. Powell, Stewart (June 19, 2009). "U.S. House impeaches Kent". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2009. In action so rare it has been carried out only 14 times since 1803, the House on Friday impeached a federal judge — imprisoned U.S. District Court Judge Samuel B. Kent...

External links

• Committee on the Judiciary website (Archive)
• House Judiciary Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.
• Congressional Directory including lists of past memberships
• House Document No. 109-153, A History of the Committee on the Judiciary 1813–2006

• Committees of the United States House of Representatives
• Law of the United States
• 1813 establishments in the United States
• Organizations established in 1813
• Parliamentary committees on Justice