Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline – October 28, 2019

Last week was a busy week in Washington, and while the impeachment inquiry was a major focus on Capitol Hill, the House was still able to pass a handful of important pieces of legislation like the Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act and the CASE Act, both of which are bills I have supported and worked for passage of this year. In addition, I am still eager to address issues like passing the USMCA trade agreement, fixing our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, and addressing the country’s broken immigration system. I hope now that we have returned to Washington that Speaker Pelosi will begin considering bills like these that are of critical importance to the American people.

Debbie Smith Act:
As a former prosecutor, I know how critical DNA evidence can be in achieving justice for victims of sexual violence. Last week, the House passed the Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act, which is crucial in supporting law enforcement agencies’ efforts to reduce DNA backlogs and protect people from violent sexual predators. While I have been a vocal advocate for the Senate version of this legislation, I am confident that this House bill is a step in the right direction.

CASE Act:
Last week, the House also passed H.R. 2426, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act – legislation of which I was proud to be an original cosponsor. This bill would create a Copyright Small Claims Board within the Copyright Office to provide an efficient and less expensive forum for small creators to better enforce their rights. Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over copyright. However, because of the high cost of federal litigation, small creators, such as graphic artists, authors, songwriters, photographers, and others across the country, often have difficulty enforcing their rights and protecting their works from infringement. Due to the comparatively low value of their work compared to the high cost of federal litigation, most attorneys do not even consider taking these small cases. This leaves small creators with little remedy to protect their works and their livelihoods. The CASE Act, largely based on a Copyright Office study from 2013, provides these creators with an alternative option to protect their rights.

A Blow to ISIS:
Our nation saw a great victory in the fight against terror this weekend. At the direction of President Trump, U.S. Special Operations Forces executed a secret mission to capture or kill ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Without the loss of American life, Special Forces entered Syria and successfully eliminated the world’s most wanted terrorist. With this action, not only is the world a safer place, but ISIS is dealt a serious blow to their ability to carry out terror activities in the region. We owe a debt of gratitude to the brave men and women who carried out this mission to ensure evil does not win. I applaud President Trump for his commitment to rooting out terror all over the world, and I thank our intelligence and Special Operations communities for the dedication to ensure such a successful outcome.

A Call For Transparency:
Precedent demands that impeachment proceedings against a president should be conducted in the Judiciary Committee. In fact, that is what the Committee, of which I am a member, was doing over the last six months. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have been searching for something—anything—that they could use to impeach this President. After failing to achieve their goal, Speaker Pelosi has removed further investigations from the Judiciary Committee so that they can be conducted behind closed doors. The American people deserve better, and most of all, they deserve transparency. As your duly elected representative, I have been denied the ability to read any records, documents, or transcripts from the closed door hearings taking place in the basement of the Capitol. This lack of openness is what my colleagues and I were protesting last week outside the Intelligence Committee. While I was not allowed inside the Committee, I have officially requested to review all materials from the ongoing investigation in accordance with House rules. To read my letter to Chairman Schiff, please click here. Every citizen deserves to know what the three committees investigating the President are learing, just as they learned everything during the earlier hearings in the Judiciary Committee. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I will continue to advocate for greater transparency in this deeply flawed process.

Meeting with Constituents:
Last week, a number of groups from Virginia’s Sixth District made the trip to Washington to discuss with me the issues that matter most to them. For example, graduate students from the JMU School of Nursing stopped by my office to discuss a broad range of healthcare policy initiatives. Our rural communities are often under-served in their healthcare needs, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact these students will have in the future. Additionally, constituents from Mt. Crawford visited the office to support passage of the USMCA trade agreement, which will have a profoundly beneficial impact on our District’s agriculture industry. When the House is in session, it does not mean my ability to assist folks across the Sixth District stops. My dedicated staff is always available to serve constituents, and on a daily basis, they meet with residents and attend community events to ensure the voices of those who call the Sixth District home are heard.

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Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Congressman. If my office can ever be of assistance, please contact my Washington office at (202) 225-5431.