Civil and Human Rights
Our government is founded on the belief that individuals have a number of "inalienable rights" enshrined in the Constitution. I believe that the protection of those rights is a fundamental obligation for each member of Congress, and I take that duty very seriously. It is important that we work to end discrimination and human rights abuses wherever they occur.
In my work in the House of Representatives, where I was previously a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Vice Chair of the Human Rights Commission, I do my best to make sure a proper balance between security and liberty is maintained, and that government's reach into our private lives is kept to a minimum.
More on Civil and Human Rights
Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after the murder of Honduran activist Nelson Garcia:
Today, Representative Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after it was announced that Honduran indigenous and environmental rights activist Berta Cáceres was murdered:
Today, Representative Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after the President submitted his plan to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility:
“It is long past time that the prison at Guantanamo Bay is closed. The first of my three visits there was in 2003 during which Major General Geoffrey Miller assured me that every one of the 800-some detainees was a "bad guy" and that all interrogations were humane. Later we learned that "enhanced techniques" were used and hundreds of the detainees were innocent of any act of terrorism. Miller was subsequently put in charge of Abu Ghraib, bringing those torture "techniques" with him.
Today, Representative Jan Schakowsky released the following statement in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day:
Today, Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Sam Farr (D-CA) along with 28 other House Members, sent a letter to United States Ambassador to Honduras James D. Nealon raising their concerns about the urgent situation facing trade unionists in the country and that he immediately contact Honduran authorities to address this crisis.
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement in response to the State Department’s decision to upgrade Malaysia in the Trafficking in Persons Report, which was released today:
“I am disappointed that the State Department has chosen to upgrade Malaysia in this year’s Trafficking in Persons Report. This month, I joined 159 Members of Congress in writing to Secretary of State John Kerry to share our concerns about the situation in Malaysia, and reports that their status would be upgraded from Tier 3. Unfortunately, today’s announcement confirms those reports.
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after news broke that 41 individuals in Bangladesh had been charged criminally for their role in the April 2013 Rana Plaza collapse:
“Justice has been a long time coming, but I am pleased to see criminal charges filed against many of those who bear some responsibility for this tragedy, including the owner of the Rana Plaza building, a number of factory owners and government officials. Their prosecution is a step in the right direction. I urge the Bangladeshi government to ensure that those affected by this horrific tragedy are made whole and to take necessary steps to protect workers throughout the country.
CHICAGO – Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time to celebrate the life, accomplishments, and dreams of one of our greatest American leaders. Dr. King stood for equality, freedom and peace; his work inspired a generation to advocate – non-violently – for the recognition of civil rights and liberties that had previously been denied. His legacy is with us today as we work to achieve his vision of an America that provides voting rights, economic justice, good jobs and wages, and improved health care for all.
Washington, DC — An amendment filed by two House Democrats to a defense authorization bill would require that garments made in Bangladesh and sold at base retail stores owned by the Department of Defense, known as exchanges, comply with an enforceable fire and building safety accord that will improve conditions in Bangladesh ready-made garment factories.
Washington, DC (February 14, 2013) — Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement on sending a letter to the Afghan President Hamid Karzai: