John Conyers

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6146) to amend title 28, United States Code, to prohibit recognition and enforcement of foreign defamation judgments, as amended.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 3598) to amend titles 46 and 18, United States Code, with respect to the operation of submersible vessels and semi- submersible vessels without nationality.

Mr. CONYERS. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, the House has passed previously virtually identical legislation, and accordingly I will place my statement in the Record at this time. Mr. Speaker, this bill addresses the growing national security threat of illicit self-propelled submersible vessels. It makes operation of one of these vessels with intent to avoid detection a felony, as well as subject to civil fines. In July, the House passed the part of this bill creating the felony. This Senate version adds the civil penalty, to provide even greater deterrence. Smugglers are operating these vessels with increasing frequency, knowing that there is no effective deterrent. They are designed so that the crew members can readily sink them within scant minutes of being spotted, thereby making efforts by authorities to intercept them exceedingly difficult and highly risky. And smugglers using these vessels are becoming increasingly violent. Two weeks ago, a cocaine smuggler attempted to kill Coast Guard officers who had boarded his vessel in the dark in the Pacific ocean. This extreme risk to our brave Coast Guard officers would not have been necessary if operating that vessel in this evasive manner were itself a crime. I commend the sponsor of the House bill, Dan Lungren of California, for his leadership on this initiative. I urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 3325) to enhance remedies for violations of intellectual property laws, and for other purposes.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume S. 3325 is an important bill that provides resources and enhanced enforcement to combat intellectual property crimes. On May 8 of this year, the House passed H.R. 4279, the PRO-IP Act, by a vote of 410-11. The Senate has returned the bill and made modifications. I think this bill retains most of the most basic and fundamental reforms that we accomplished, including changes to civil and criminal IP laws that will afford rights holders more protection and the enhancements in penalties for IP violators who endanger public health and safety. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. I yield Chairman Howard Berman from California as much time as he may consume.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the chairwoman of the California delegation, Zoe Lofgren.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1738) to establish a Special Counsel for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction within the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, to improve the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to increase resources for regional computer forensic labs, and to make other improvements to increase the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute predators.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Members, the PROTECT Our Children Act enhances the ability of Federal and State law enforcement officials to investigate and prosecute crimes involving the use of the Internet to further the sexual exploitation of children. Our colleague, Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, is the author of this amendment. It passed overwhelmingly last year. And I would yield her as much time as she may consume.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased now to yield to our friend, Nick Lampson, the gentleman from Texas, who has worked on this subject for many years. And I am happy to yield him as much time as he may consume.

Mr. CONYERS. I yield back the remaining time on this side.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of the Senate bill (S. 3605) to extend the pilot program for volunteer groups to obtain criminal history background checks, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CONYERS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in this case, the title accurately describes the contents of the bill. It attempts and proposes to extend the authority of the United States Supreme Court Police to protect court officials off the Supreme Court grounds and changes the title of the Administrative Assistant to the Chief Justice. Congress has given the Supreme Court Police statutory recognition since 1982, with authority to patrol the Supreme Court buildings and grounds, make arrests, carry firearms, and protect the Chief Justice, any Associate Justice, official guests, and employees of the Court while performing official duties. The Supreme Court Police are also authorized to protect the Justices and employees of the Court while they are away from the Court building, anywhere in the United States. We have extended this authority on several occasions, and this bill does so again, so that it will not expire at the end of this year. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, so that the Supreme Court Police can continue to perform their critical mission effectively.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 5057) to reauthorize the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).