To order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess ny time. We welcome everyone to todays hearing on the department of justice Civil Rights Division. With that, we will have the pledge of allegiance. ■m 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. Rt. 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 colleaguekn 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 rightshe same equally enforce the law. Unfortunately, under the Biden Administration, this has not always been the case. Civil Rights Division has fixed its ght, 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 piceenton, n, 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. ■o ances meriting review but in the midst of rising crime , plummeting Police Recruiting , open borders, mountains of fentanyl. Doj is prioritizing investigatns size these departments. Under President Biden doj has opened 11 pattern or practice investigations in the Police 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 concernsh 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 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 this law protects abortion clinics, Pregnancy Resource Centers and houses of worship alike. However, the divisions of prosecutions under the face actd prosecuting face act violations involving abortion clinics, particularly a situation involving mark ha who was charged de act for protecting his young son from a belligerent abortion activist, on may 2nd 2022 a draft copy o 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 os 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 hasecutionr 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 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 ar 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 disparim on blk 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 in the Supreme Courts precedents. Despite this plain violation of american rights, the Civil Rights Division was nowhere to be found. An advocac■e■ y group,ot 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. 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 kidnapped babies. , women and■zs7 rampant anti semitism has reared its ugly head on American College campuses and throughout major american cities. Just this weekend, pro Palestinian Protestersntested oe 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 oanti sitic threats and violence throughout the west, anti semite spray montreal jewish schools and bullets attack some aipac president s home in l a investigateds te cri. 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. 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 act. And it is notable that there has been basically silence. So it is true, the Division Must return to the nonpartisan workot it favors, i look forward to hearing this morning how that will happen. ■v■hmember, the gentlewoman from pennsylvania ms. Scanlon for her opening statement. Assistant attorney general clark, i wa■■ntis 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 way that was unprecedented in the history of this great nation. Under that administration, we saw members of the department o personal attorneys, repeating election disinformation, wiaw 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,zo chaos and political violence, which is tearing apart so many of our communities today. Thats why its so important th we unrstand 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 that mission at this time. Its worth remembering that congress explicitly created the the Civil Rights Act of 1957 tof 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 protectige belief that in a democracy, the s 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 nation in employment, housing, and education, and the right to be free from violence based on hate. How the Civil Rights Division has renewed its commitment to these principles under its current leadership. Nistration, 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 ro 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 s , taking action in over 40 Voting Rights matters since january 2021 ranging from voting related Enforcement Actions to 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 im of course, much of this legislative activity stems from the Supreme Courts erosion of the Voting Rights act of 1965 beginning with Shelby County versus holder and continuing with bravano. Bravanovich versus Democratic National committee. 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 mithe 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 loy more resources to enforce Voting Rights protections. The Civil Rights Division also bears responsibility for enforcing federal hate crime laws. 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 over 11,000 hate crime incidents, over 59 of those victims were targeted because of their race or ethnicity. Another. 3 were based on their religion and another 17 were targeted because of their sexual 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 oa , including incidents of potential hate crimes. Also for decadesayed an Important Role in helping Law Enforcement agencies to keep their communities safe and uphold the rule of law while ecl 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. I look fog 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. Yield back. I now recognize the Ranking Member of the full committee. Mr nadler for his opening thank you, mr chairman. I would like to begin by thanking hisistant attorney clark for appearing before the subcommittee today. Unfortunately it has been several years since we have had the opportunity to question the head of the department of civil righivRights Division because general clarks immediate predecessor during the Trump Administration never appeared before us. In ant blame the department for its eva evasion at the time because back then, it had nothing good to report to us as it practically abdicated its responsibility to vigorously enforce our nations critical im pleased however, that under the Biden Administration and under assistant attorney general is once again taking its roleion seriously. That means protecting americans from a nationwide effort to undermine the right to vote, working with local communities■e patterns and practices of unconstitutional conduct in Law Enforcement agencies, addressing the disturbing rand combating discrimination in all forms, whether it be in employment, housing, education or elsewhere. On all of these Critical Issues and many others that impact millions of americans, the dedicated staff of the Civil Rights Division works tirelessly to ensure that all americans regardless of their race, religion, national origin, disal orientation are treated equally under the law. Thank you for your efforts in leading this vital department. Excuse me. And top of mind for me today is the recent rise in anti semitism and the general rise in hate crimes and other forms of illegal discrimination that has transpired over the past severa■ according to the most recent data compiled by the fbi for the year 2022 and the testimony of federal law enforcemen■jt officials, theres been a significant documented increase in antisemitic hate crimes and discmicording to fbi data, even before hamas brutal terrorist attack on october 7th, mitism was on the rise. In 2022, there were 2042 reported incidents based on religion and more than half of these were driven by anti jewish bias. During recent testimony before the senate fbi director Christopher Wray stated that the threat of antisemitism quote is reaching in some way sort of historic leveld was in part because the Jewish Community is targeted by terrorists really across the spectrum, including fored domestic viole