On Thursday, January 5, 2017, Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, will lead the reading of the U.S. Constitution from the floor of the House of Representatives. The House Rules Package, adopted by the House on January 3, 2017, provides for the reading at the request of Goodlatte. Goodlatte will lead the reading of the Constitution beginning at 10:00 a.m. The reading is open to all Members who are interested in participating and is expected to take betwee...
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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement ahead of the commemoration of the 229th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States on September 17th: “The Framers of the Constitution presented our nation with a founding document that has shaped who we are as a nation, defining a system of government designed to keep government in check so that individual freedom could flourish. “As a Member of Congress and Chairman of the House Jud...
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One of the first lessons students are taught in their elementary school civics class is that our government is made up of three separate, but equal, branches. This lesson is fundamental if students are to understand why the United States has thrived for so many years, and how it is a government designed to serve the people. However, the curriculum may need to change in the near future. The unfortunate truth is that now the executive branch is evolving into a form of administrative state. Unelect...
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Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) released the following statement on passage today of S. 304, the Conscience Protection Act, by a vote of 245-182 in the U.S. House of Representatives: “I am pro-life and strongly opposed to abortion. However, whether you are opposed to abortion or not, we should at a minimum be able to agree that the government cannot force health care providers to violate their own beliefs by performing an abortion. This is a matter that should transcend party affiliation. The ...
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WATCH: Restoring a Proper System of Checks and Balances in Washington Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Subcommittee Chairman Tom Marino (R-Pa.), and House Judiciary Committee member and bill sponsor John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) praised today’s passage of the Separation of Powers Restoration Act (SOPRA) of 2016 (H.R. 4768) by the House of Representatives by a vote of 240-171. “When the Framers created three e...
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We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. The preamble to our nation’s Constitution, though penned over two centuries ago, still guides us in governing. As the representative of Virginia’s Sixth Congressional Distr...
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Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) released a statement following the Supreme Court’s 5-3 decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt: Goodlatte: “Every human life is sacred and precious, and should be protected from the horrors of abortion. Today, the Supreme Court has abandoned those who have no voice – the unborn. “It is truly appalling that the Court has refused to take action against such a horrible, barbaric practice. The State of Texas passed a law that would protect the interests of w...
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Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of United States v. Texas: “Today’s Supreme Court decision effectively ends President Obama’s unilateral rewrite of our nation’s immigration laws for the remainder of the Obama Administration. This is a win for the American people, the Constitution, and the rule of law. Today’s decision also underscores the importance of who will replace Justice...
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Today at an event in National Statuary Hall, Republicans unveiled an initiative to restore self-government and the separation of powers. This plan lays out our vision for a Confident America in which our government listens to the people and upholds the Constitution. This is the fourth plank of A Better Way, a bold agenda to tackle some of our country’s biggest challenges. Earlier, Republicans released initiatives on poverty, security, and the economy. Our plan—available now at better.gop—offers ...
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Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, praised today’s Committee approval of the “Separation of Powers Restoration Act (SOPRA) of 2016” (H.R. 4321) by a vote of 12-8. Since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, 467 U.S. 837 (1984), federal courts have rarely questioned federal regulatory agencies’ interpretations of the statutes passed by Congress. This has emboldened federal bureaucrats to overreach and ex...
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