To order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time. We welcome everyone to todays hearing on the department of justice Civil Rights Division. With that, we will have the pledge of allegiance. Will the gentleman from arizona lead us in the pledge of allegiance . Our colleague, mr. Biggs marzano will be able to participate in the hearing today for the purpose of questioning the witness. If a member yields him time for that purpose, i will now recognize myself for an Opening Statement. Thank our witness for being here today. The Civil Rights Division is responsible for the enforcement of civil rights statutes enacted by congress and related constitutional guarantees. This is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. I too, in a previous life served in the department of justice, having served as special assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of texas. My job there as the witness and my colleagues know is to equally enforce the law. My grandfather was the chief of police in sweetwater texas. His job was to equally enforce the law. My grandmother was the first woman elected county clerk in nolan county, texas after my grandfather passed away from cancer. When my dad was seven years old, his job was to equally enforce the law justice is blind and we must follow the facts wherever they may take us like all components of the Justice Department. The Civil Rights Division is expected to do the same equally enforce the law. Unfortunately, under the Biden Administration, this has not always been the case. Civil Rights Division has fixed its sight, for example, on those charged with protecting us. Police departments often harassing these departments to the point that they cannot do their jobs. There have been a series of investigations, minneapolis, louisville, phoenix, mount vernon, new york, Louisiana State police, new York City Police department, special victims division, Maryland Department of state police, worcester,chusetts police department, Memphis Police trenton, new jersey, lexington, mississippi 11 times. Over the last two years, weve seen a significant disparity. There are just a few examples of how the doj Civil Rights Division has targeted those who protect our communities. Its not to say there are not circumstances meriting review but in the midst of rising crime , plummeting Police Recruiting , open borders, mountains of fentanyl. Doj is prioritizing investigations with small to mid size these departments. Under President Biden doj has opened 11 pattern or practice investigations in the Police Departments throughout the country compared to just one under the previous administration. This combined with fairly radical views that well talk about with the witness earlier about defunding the police in the past, which raises concerns about the intent of such investigations, especially at a time when police are demoralized , following the defund the Police Movement and crime wave that is followed. The divisions activities have also too often amounted to using the law to advantage or disadvantage certain states and individuals. For example, the freedom of access to clinic entrances or face act prohibits threats of force obstruction of Property Damage intended to interfere with the Reproductive Health care services. This law protects abortion clinics, Pregnancy Resource Centers and houses of worship alike. However, the divisions of prosecutions under the face act show a significant bias toward prosecuting face act violations involving abortion clinics, particularly a situation involving mark ha who was charged under the face act for protecting his young son from a belligerent abortion activist, on may 2nd 2022 a draft copy of the Supreme Courts decision in dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health organization was leaked to the press. This leak gave rise to widespread demonstrations and attacks on prolife facilities. In fact, following the leak, more than 100 prolife facilities were vandalized or damaged including by arson. 218 catholic churches have been attacked since the Dobbs Decision was leaked according to catholic vote. According to the Family Research council, there are 57 pro a acts of hostility against churches from january 22 to september 22. And in the First Quarter of 23 of fiscal 23 there were 69 incidents of hostility toward churches. In the face of this increase, you would expect the Civil Rights Division to step up and protect the civil rights of these americans. But there was not. In 2022 the department brought 26 prosecutions under the face act. All of them involved alleged incidents at abortion clinics. In 23 the department has identified for the committee, one prosecution of four individuals in florida who spray painted threats on Pregnancy Resource Centers in the state. This marked the first time in American History that the face act was used against pro abortion protesters. This questionable use of resources is further illustrated by other activities of the division. In 2021, the department began a lawsuit against the state of georgia alleging a new election law was enacted with the purpose of denying or abridging the right of black georgians to vote on account of their race or color. The problem is thats just not true, and the courts decisions in that case today to borne that out. Recently, the court refused to block several provisions of the law while the litigation continues. Notably, the court found that the department has not shown that any of the provisions have a disparate impact on black voters. Quite simply the facts on the ground do not match the allegations in the departments lawsuit. While the department is devoting resources to this politically motivated lawsuit is missing in action when Constitutional Rights are violated. In september of this year, new mexico governor Michelle Lujan grisham issued a Public Health order banning the otherwise lawful carrying of firearms in certain jurisdictions in the state. This order was plainly unconstitutional under the second and 14th amendments int. Despite this plain violation of american rights, the Civil Rights Division was nowhere to be found. An advocacy group, not the department had to bring a lawsuit to overturn the order. The division failed to file an amicus brief or even a statement of interest to protect americans Second Amendment rights. More recently, the Civil Rights Department appears to be standing idly by while Jewish Americans have their civil rights violated by radical pro Palestinian Protesters since hamass cowardly october 7th attack in which it murdered innocent israelis, women and kidnapped babies. Rampant anti semitism has reared its ugly head on American College campuses and throughout major american cities. Just this weekend, pro Palestinian Protesters in philadelphia protested outside of goldie, a jewish owned falafel restaurant with a location less than a mile away from Independence Hall where the declaration of independence was signed. The Division Must return to the nonpartisan work of protecting the rights of all americans. I would note that there is an ongoing list of anti semitic threats and violence throughout the west, anti semite spray montreal jewish schools and bullets attack some aipac president s home in l a investigated as hate crime. Burbank Police Search for a suspect that spray painted schwa swastika on synagogue benon hell Jewish Center at the university of florida vandalized with antisemitic graffiti. Cornell cancels classes after a student arrested for anti semitic threats of murder and rape. Fbi investigating after synagogue desig with antiisrael anti semitic graffiti. Thats eight of literally pages of examples of anti semitic acts in the wake of october 7th. And it is notable that there has been basically silence. So it is true, the Division Must return to the nonpartisan work of protecting the rights of all americans, not just those that it favors, i look forward to hearing this morning how that will happen. I will now recognize the Ranking Member, the gentlewoman from pennsylvania ms. Scanlon for her Opening Statement. Thank you. Assistant attorney general clark, i want to welcome you to the Judiciary Committee and this very important oversight hearing to help the committee and the American Public understand the Critical Role that the Civil Rights Division of the department of justice plays in protecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of all americans. This hearing is particularly important since your predecessor refused the committees request for an oversight hearing amidst the Trump Administrations efforts to weaponize the department of justice in a way that was unprecedented in the history of this great nation. Under that administration, we saw members of the department of justice leadership, acting as the president s personal personal attorneys, repeating election disinformation, withdrawing support for Voting Rights and other civil Rights Enforcement. And reversing course on decades of work to ensure that Law Enforcement agencies protect the rights of all americans. And of course, under that administration, we saw the normalization of hate speech, chaos and political violence, which is tearing apart so many of our communities today. Thats why its so important that we understand the Critical Role of the department of justices Civil Rights Division in combating civil Rights Violations and securing our fundamental freedoms and what Congress Needs to do to support that mission at this time. Its worth remembering that congress explicitly created the Civil Rights Division as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 to protect the Voting Rights of black americans and other minorities. The very genesis of the Civil Rights Division was rooted in the federal effort to protect Voting Rights and reflected the belief that in a democracy, the right to vote is the Foundation Upon which all other rights and freedoms ultimately rest. These core civil rights and freedoms include the right to cast a vote in a free and Fair Election regardless of race, the right to be free from discrimination in employment, housing, and education, and the right to be free from violence based on hate. And i look forward to how the Civil Rights Division has renewed its commitment to these principles under its current leadership. Under the Trump Administration, we saw the Civil Rights Division abdicate its responsibility to enforce many Voting Rights and other civil rights protections. So im heartened to see a renewed focus by the division on vigorous civil Rights Enforcement. Understanding that the right to cast a vote in a free and Fair Election is the foundation of all other rights. I appreciate the divisions renewed focus on Voting Rights , taking action in over 40 Voting Rights matters since january 2021 ranging from voting related Enforcement Actions to filing statements of interest in numerous private Enforcement Actions including two in pennsylvania. But we continue to need vigorous enforcement of the Voting Rights act as weve seen a tsunami of restrictive voting laws enacted by states over the past three years with the potential to impact the 2024 election. Of course, much of this legislative activity stems from the Supreme Courts erosion of the Voting Rights act of 1965 through a series of decisions beginning with Shelby County versus holder and continuing with bravano. Bravanovich versus Democratic National committee. These decisions have made it harder and more resource intensive for of the Civil Rights Division and other Voting Rights act plaintiffs to prevail in Enforcement Actions. But there is a solution, of course, that is that Congress Must act. Congress must respond to these misguided decisions by reauthorizing the Voting Rights act and updating the guardrails of our democratic republic to respond to 21st century threats. We must pass the john r. Lewis Voting Rights advancement act, which would reinvigorate the Voting Rights act and ensure full funding for the Civil Rights Division to deploy more resources to enforce Voting Rights protections. The Civil Rights Division also bears responsibility for enforcing federal hate crime laws. At a time when over the past seven years, weve seen an explosion of hate speech and political violence, whether directed towards racial or ethnic minorities, women and lgbtq plus persons or members of religious groups, all across the country. Communities have been impacted by hate incidents as theyve trended upwards. Statistics compiled by the fbi show that last year even with imperfect reporting, Law Enforcement agencies reported over 11,000 hate crime incidents, over 59 of those victims were targeted because of their race or ethnicity. Another 17. 3 were targeted based on their religion and another 17 were targeted because of their Sexual Orientation. Of course, in the charged environment surrounding hamas terrorist attack on october 7th and israelis, israels military response to the attack. Weve seen increasing reports of anti semitism and islamophobia , including incidents of potential hate crimes. Also for decades, the Civil Rights Division has played an Important Role in helping Law Enforcement agencies to keep their communities safe and uphold the rule of law while protecting the civil rights of all citizens. One of the tools for doing this is to work with communities to address patterns and practices of violations in Law Enforcement, a tool that was abandoned by the Trump Department of justice. And i look forward to hearing what progress has been made in this area again. Thank you, assistant attorney general clark for being with us and updating us on the work of the division and what Congress Needs to do to assist the division in that work. Thank you. I yield back. I now recognize the Ranking Member of the full committee. Mr nadler for his Opening Statement should he care to get going. Thank you, mr chairman. I would like to begin by thanking hisistant attorney assistant general Kristen Clark for appearing before the subcommittee today