Jonathan L. Jackson

RSF Terrorist Designation Act

in committee

Sanction Sea Pirates Act of 2025

in committee

Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor Congressional Gold Medal Act

in committee

“Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor celebrate the life and legacy of one of America's greatest civil servants, Mr. Stanley D. Moore, Sr. This September, Stanley will turn 90 years old and gather to celebrate the occasion with his family and friends in my hometown of Chicago. Stanley's career with the Federal Government began in 1956 and within 4 years, he started what would be a lifelong career with the U.S. Census Bureau. While working as a systems analyst for the Bureau, Stanley continually displayed a dedication and work ethic that few people can match. His work led him to be continually promoted until he was appointed as the regional director of the Bureau's Chicago Regional Office. In this position, he was responsible for overseeing all Census operations in the States of Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Stanley developed the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing system (TIGER) and the Reaching Every Single Person on the Nation's Decennial (Operation RESPOND) program. His work on these matters revolutionized Census operations and continue to serve as part of the bedrock of Census operations to this day. His work led him to receive accolades, including the Bronze Medal for Superior Service, the Silver Medal Award for Meritorious Service, and the Gold Medal Award for Exceptional Service. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Hammer Award for National Partnership for Reinventing Government. In addition to his meritorious government service, Stanley was a powerful advocate for equality and justice throughout Chicago. In the 1970s, Stanley was instrumental in the desegregation of Chicago housing. His 4-year long legal battle against racial discrimination culminated in his success in court and the purchase of a new home in the Beverly community. Through his search for justice and equality, Stanley led the way for countless others to continue to work against the evils of segregation. I would like to express my gratitude to Stanley for his service and ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating his 90th birthday. ____________________”

2025-09-26 · Civil Rights

“Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in staunch opposition to H.R. 4922, the D.C. CRIMES Act. This is not a serious legislative effort to enhance public safety; it is a blatant political maneuver to override the local authority of Washington, D.C., and restrict judges' ability to make individualized sentencing decisions for young adults. It is a bill that uses the nearly 700,000 residents of D.C., who pay more federal taxes per capita than any state, as political pawns. This bill is a direct assault on the District's local sovereignty. It would fundamentally alter D.C.'s criminal justice system by reducing the eligibility age for the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) from 24 to 18. It seeks to eliminate judicial discretion to impose sentences below mandatory minimums, and would restrict vital alternatives like probation, community service, and the ability to seal the records of young adult offenders. This proposal is particularly egregious because it undermines a program that works. The YRA, which provides a path for rehabilitation, has been shown to reduce recidivism, thereby supporting public safety. Individuals who have convictions set aside under the YRA are significantly less likely to reoffend. Instead of celebrating this success, H.R. 4922 would dismantle it. Let us be clear about the hypocrisy of this measure. House Republicans from 34 states, including Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, Alabama, and North Carolina, voted to reduce the eligible age to 18 here in D.C., even though the age in their own home states is 20 or higher. Supporters of this bill are targeting a program in D.C. that is similar to laws that exist in their own states. In perhaps the most glaring example of this double standard, representatives from Utah voted to lower the age here while their own state sets the age at 25, a full year older than D.C.'s current law. In those states, such programs are deemed effective, but here, in the Nation's capital, they are being singled out for elimination. This double standard exposes this bill for what it is: an act of political punishment, not a genuine reform. Real solutions to crime do not come from a ``Super City Council'' in Congress. They come from empowering local communities and trusting judges to make thoughtful, individualized decisions. I urge my colleagues to stand with the residents of D.C. and against this discriminatory and hypocritical bill. Vote No on H.R. 4922. [[Page E876]] ____________________”

2025-09-18 · Criminal Justice

“Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 5140, the D.C. Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act. This bill is not a serious attempt to address crime; it is a regressive, discriminatory, and counterproductive piece of legislation that will only worsen the challenges facing our communities. This bill would lower the age at which children can be prosecuted as adults in Washington, D.C., from 16 to 14 years old for certain crimes. This will also have the impact of reducing the minimum age for transferring a juvenile to adult court to be tried as an adult. House Republicans from three states--South Dakota, Alaska, and California-- voted to reduce the age to 14 in D.C., even though the age is 16 in their own states. The supporters of this bill claim it will make D.C. safer, but the facts and history prove otherwise. First, let's talk about the discriminatory nature of this proposal. The juvenile justice system in Washington. D.C., already has stark racial disparities: more than 93 percent of youth arrests in the first half of 2025 were of Black youth. Lowering the age for adult prosecution will inevitably push more Black children into the adult system, a system that is not equipped to rehabilitate them. Furthermore, this proposal stands in direct opposition to what we know about juvenile justice and public safety. Research from the CDC and the National Research Council has consistently found that transferring juveniles to the adult system increases violence rather than reducing it. Youth charged as adults are more likely to reoffend than those processed in juvenile courts. This is not a deterrent; it is a recipe for a cycle of violence and incarceration. This bill would make Washington, D.C., an outlier in its approach to juvenile justice. While the current law already allows prosecutors to charge 16 and 17 year-olds as adults at their discretion, without a judge's approval, H.R. 5140 would lower that age even further. Even in states with a history of tough-on-crime stances, many are moving in a more rehabilitative direction. This approach aligns with a broader national trend, including in several Republican-led states, to reform juvenile justice with a focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment. For example, Texas, a state known for its traditionally tough stance on crime, has undertaken significant reforms since 2007. These reforms have focused on encouraging local, evidence-based supervision for low-level youth offenders, which has led to a significant reduction in the state-level committed population and millions of dollars in cost savings while protecting public safety. Juvenile arrests in Texas dropped by 27 percent between 2007 and 2011 following these changes. Similarly, in Utah, Republican Governor Gary Herbert signed a comprehensive set of reforms in 2017 with near-unanimous support from the Republican-led legislature. These reforms have also reduced reliance on locked detention by diverting more young people into community-based programs. Early outcomes from these changes show that the use of locked detention has fallen significantly, while the use of diversion is on the rise. Even in Georgia, another state that has historically had a lower age for adult prosecution, there has been a movement to extend the juvenile justice system. In 2022, the state passed a bill to raise the adult criminal age from 17 to 18 for most crimes, recognizing that this provides adolescents with better opportunities for rehabilitation. This bill would make Washington, D.C., an outlier. While the current law already allows prosecutors to charge 16 and 17 year-olds as adults at their discretion, without a judge's approval, H.R. 5140 would lower that age even further. In contrast, many states are moving in the opposite direction, raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction, not lowering it. Real solutions to violent crime do not come from sending middle schoolers to adult court. They come from investing in communities. They come from supporting our schools, expanding after-school programs, providing job training, and ensuring access to mental health services. I urge my colleagues to reject this misguided and dangerous bill. Vote No on H.R. 5140. ____________________”

2025-09-18 · Criminal Justice