House Judiciary Committee - Definition and Overview

U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, or (more commonly) 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, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement entities. The Senate version of the committee's most public role involves the approval process of the President's nominees to the Federal benches, including the United States Supreme Court. The Judiciary Committee is also the committee responsible for impeachments of federal officials, and approved articles of impeachment against Andrew Johnson in 1868, Richard Nixon in 1974, and Bill Clinton in 1998. The current chairmen of the committee is Republican Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, and the ranking minority member is Democrat John Conyers of Michigan.

The committee was created on June 3, 1813 for the purpose of considering legislation related to the judicial system. Because of the legal nature of its oversight, committee members usually have a legal background, but it is not required.

Members of the House Committee on the Judiciary

• Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Chairman
• Henry J. Hyde (R-IL)
• Howard Coble (R-NC)
• Lamar S. Smith (R-TX)
• Elton Gallegly (R-CA)
• Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
• Steve Chabot (R-OH)
• William L. Jenkins (R-TN)
• Chris Cannon (R-UT)
• Spencer Bachus (R-AL)
• John N. Hostettler (R-IN)
• Mark Green (R-WI)
• Ric Keller (R-FL)
• Melissa A. Hart (R-PA)
• Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
• Mike Pence (R-IN)
• J. Randy Forbes (R-VA)
• Steve King (R-IA)
• John R. Carter (R-TX)
• Tom Feeney (R-FL)
• Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
• John Conyers (D-MI)
• Howard L. Berman (D-CA)
• Rick Boucher (D-VA)
• Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
• Robert C. Scott (D-VA)
• Melvin L. Watt (D-NC)
• Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
• Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
• Maxine Waters (D-CA)
• Martin T. Meehan (D-MA)
• William D. Delahunt (D-MA)
• Robert Wexler (D-FL)
• Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
• Anthony D. Weiner (D-NY)
• Adam B. Schiff (D-CA)
• Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA)

Subcommittees

• U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law
  • Chairman: Chris Cannon (R-UT)
  • Ranking Member: Melvin L. Watt (D-NC)
• U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property
  • Chairman: Lamar S. Smith (R-TX)
  • Ranking Member: Howard L. Berman (D-CA)
• U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
  • Chairman: Howard Coble (R-NC)
  • Ranking Member: Robert C. Scott (D-VA)
• U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims
  • Chairman: John N. Hostettler (R-IN)
  • Ranking Member: Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
• U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution
  • Chairman: Steve Chabot (R-OH)
  • Ranking Member: Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)

Chairmen of the House Committee on the Judiciary, 1813-present

• Charles J. Ingersoll (R-PA) 1813-1815
• Hugh Nelson (R-VA) 1815-1819
• John Sergeant (R-PA) 1819-1822
• Hugh Nelson (R-VA) 1822-1823
• Daniel Webster (F-MA) 1823-1827
• Philip P. Barbour (D-VA) 1827-1829
• James Buchanan (D-PA) 1829-1831
• Warren R. Davis (D-SC) 1831-1833
• Thomas F. Foster (W-GA) 1833-1835
• Samuel Beardsley (D-NY) 1835-1836
• Francis Thomas (D-MD) 1836-1839
• John Sergeant (W-PA) 1839-1841
• Daniel D. Barnard (W-NY) 1841-1843
• William Wilkins (D-PA) 1843-1844
• Romulus M. Saunders (D-NC) 1844-1845
• George O. Rathbun (D-NY) 1845-1847
• Joseph R. Ingersoll (W-PA) 1847-1849
• James Thompson (D-PA) 1849-1851
• James X. McLanahan (D-PA) 1851-1853
• Frederick P. Stanton (D-TN) 1853-1855
• George A. Simmons (W/R-NY) 1855-1857
• George S. Houston (D-AL) 1857-1859
• John Hickman (R-PA) 1859-1863
• James F. Wilson (R-IA) 1863-1869
• John A. Bingham (R-OH) 1869-1873
• Benjamin F. Butler (R-MA) 1873-1875
• James P. Knott (D-KY) 1875-1881
• Thomas B. Reed (R-ME) 1881-1883
• John R. Tucker (D-VA) 1883-1887
• David B. Culberson (D-TX) 1887-1889
• Ezra B. Taylor (R-OH) 1889-1891
• David B. Culberson (D-TX) 1891-1895
• David B. Henderson (R-IA) 1895-1899
• George W. Ray (R-NY) 1899-1903
• John J. Jenkins (R-WI) 1903-1909
• Richard W. Parker (R-NJ) 1909-1911
• Henry De Lamar Clayton (D-AL) 1911-1914
• Edwin Y. Webb (D-NC) 1914-1919
• Andrew J. Volstead (R-MN) 1919-1923
• George S. Graham (R-PA) 1923-1931
• Hatton W. Sumners (D-TX) 1931-1947
• Earl C. Michener (R-MI) 1947-1949
• Emmanuel Celler (D-NY) 1949-1953
• Chauncey W. Reed (R-IL) 1953-1955
• Emmanuel Celler (D-NY) 1955-1973
• Peter W. Rodino, Jr. (D-NJ) 1973-1989
• Jack Brooks (D-TX) 1989-1995
• Henry J. Hyde (R-IL) 1995-2001
• F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI) 2001-

See Also

U.S. Congressional Committees

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