releases: https://hankjohnson.house.gov/media-center/speeches/statement-markup-hr-8235-open-courts-act-2020
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://hankjohnson.house.gov/media-center/speeches/statement-markup-hr-8235-open-courts-act-2020 | Statement for Markup of H.R. 8235, the Open Courts Act of 2020 | 2020-09-15 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | GA | Hank Johnson | J000288 | hankjohnson.house.gov | legacy | Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. 200 Capitol Visitor Center I move to strike the last word. Thank you, Chairman Nadler, for bringing this important bill before the Committee. And I'd like to thank the former ranking member of this Committee, my Georgia colleague Doug Collins and the co-lead of this bill, for his partnership on working to make federal court records freely accessible to all Americans. Anyone who goes to the Supreme Court's website can read any of the documents filed before the Court, free of charge. The same thing is true for the courts in my and Mr. Collins's home state of Georgia. And that's the way it should be, because the public has a fundamental right to know what goes on in its courthouses. But if you want to read most of the records of other federal courts, you have to pay a fee. The prices are like a keep out sign for regular people: ten cents per search, ten cents per page, and up to three dollars per document. It can cost hundreds of dollars to read the filings in just one big case. The business of the courts is important, so it should be no surprise that the judiciary's paywall takes in between $100 and $140 million every year. That's a lot of money taken from people who are exercising their fundamental right to access public court records. And to make matters worse, just last month a court of appeals held that the Administrative Office of the United States Courts was unlawfully using that money to fund a range of programs that had nothing to do with giving the public access to federal court records. Frankly, it's unjustifiable. And it needs to stop. Now, imagine if we were to charge for access to the U.S. Code. Or the Federal Register. Or Congress.gov. Our courts are a vital part of our American government, and we have a responsibility to make them accessible to the rest of our society. The judiciary's paywall imposes unnecessary burdens on journalists, academics, and pro se litigants as they engage in the constitutionally-enshrined activities of observing and reporting on the courts' activities or petitioning the courts for redress. This matters more now than ever before. At a time when many have concerns that the executive branch represents only some of its citizens, a democratic process limited to a select group that can participatethose who can afford itshould concern us all. But this bill is about more than just democratic ideals and transparency. It's about changing the system to make it fairer for everyone. You know, after I graduated law school, I made the decision to strike out on my own. I hung out a shingle and dedicated my legal career to fighting for the little guy. When I think of young lawyers striving to start their own business in today's legal economy and the non-lawyers looking to represent themselves pro se, I remember how hard those first years were. This muscle memorythe feeling of working hard just for the right to work hardis what I try to keep in mind when I'm here in DC legislating. The legal profession shouldn't be a place for just big-pocketed firms. Young attorneys who want to use their law degree to make a difference deserve the same access to the federal court system as their corporate counterparts. I also want to thank the Judicial Conference for their testimony and feedback on this bill and its predecessors. The language in H.R. 8235 was drafted to reflect that input, and I look forward to continue working with them as we move forward. Thank you again, Chairman Nadler, and my co-lead Mr. Collins, and I encourage my colleagues to vote with me in favor of this legislation. I yield back. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |