One of the committees on which I have the opportunity to serve in Congress is the Judiciary Committee, which has far-reaching legislative jurisdiction. In fact, one-third of all legislation introduced in Congress is referred to the Judiciary Committee.
The scope of the Judiciary Committee includes civil and criminal judicial proceedings, federal courts and judges, as well as issues related to bankruptcy, abortion, terrorism, civil liberties, constitutional amendments, copyrights, patents, trademarks, gun owners' rights, immigration, and Internet crimes, just to name a few.
Many important pieces of legislation taken up by the Judiciary Committee in the 109th Congress became law. These include reauthorizations of the Patriot Act and the Voting Rights Act, as well as legislation to crack down on fraudulent identity documents, such as drivers' licenses, to overhaul the nation's bankruptcy laws, to ban the sale of personal telephone records on the Internet, and to increase the penalties for those involved in drug trafficking and combat the use and distribution of methamphetamine.
Additionally, in the past four Congresses, I introduced legislation, which was reported favorably by the Judiciary Committee and passed by the House many times, to curb abuses of class action lawsuits. Finally in the 109th Congress, the bill was passed by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by the President. This new law will help clarify the rights of consumers and restore confidence in America's civil justice system.
I also introduced legislation to combat Internet gambling, which was reported favorably from the Judiciary Committee and was passed by the House by an overwhelming bipartisan majority earlier this year. Provisions from my legislation were included in a bill signed into law in October of this year.
Other Judiciary Committee legislation was approved by the House but never saw action in the Senate. These proposals included legislation to crack down on illegal immigration and a Constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. In addition, the House approved legislation I introduced to stop abuses of eminent domain powers and protect private property rights, and another to eliminate the controversial visa lottery program. A third bill I introduced would impose stiff penalties on those that use spyware to commit computer fraud and other crimes. All of these passed the House but not the Senate.
The Judiciary Committee was established in 1813 to consider legislation relating to judicial proceedings. Nearly 200 years later, the scope of the committee has certainly expanded, providing Members who serve there the opportunity to consider and debate some of the most fundamental issues affecting America and her citizens. It is an honor to serve the 6th District and our nation in my capacity on the Judiciary Committee, and I look forward to continued far-reaching legislative work on this important committee in the coming Congress.