WASHINGTON – On May 7, 2013, Rep. Jeffries was appointed to the newly established House Judiciary Committee Over-Criminalization Task Force. Over the next six months, this bipartisan body of five Democrats and five Republicans will examine federal criminal laws and recommend improvements to the full Judiciary Committee.  The task force is led by Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-Va.).

 “I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reform the criminal code in a manner that addresses over-criminalization in America,” said Rep. Jeffries.  “Over the past two decades there has been a massive expansion of the criminal code in a manner that adversely impacts our country, but particularly low-income communities of color.  The over-criminalization phenomenon has resulted in lost human capital and economic productivity.  This is bad for the economy and the task force has a meaningful opportunity to effectuate change.”

Additional members of the task force include Reps. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), George Holding (R-N.C.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Karen Bass (D-Calif.). Ex officio members of the task force include House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.).