United States of America
House of Representatives
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Political system
Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
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Presidential system
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Structure of parliament
Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
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Bicameral
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IPU membership
Current membership status
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No
Specialized bodies - Human rights
- Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission January 2008
- Committee on Foreign Affairs, sub-committee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights & International Organizations January 1981
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission January 2008
About
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Nature
Permanent or temporary (ad-hoc)
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No information available
- Themes
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Human rights
Members
| All Members | 45 years of age or younger | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 54 | 5 |
| Male | 31 | 2 |
| Female | 23 | 3 |
Chairperson(s)
(2023-01)
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Person
Person details for the Chair
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James P. McGovern (Male)
Date of birth: 20 Nov 1959 - Political affiliation
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Majority
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Person
Person details for the Chair
View field in the data dictionary -
Chris Smith (Male)
Date of birth: 04 Mar 1953 - Political affiliation
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Opposition
Committee functions
The Committee has the following functions:
- Mainstream human rights into the work of (other) parliamentary committees and of Parliament as a whole
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Yes
- Scrutinise all Bills for their compatibility with human rights
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No
- Scrutinise the Executive’s policy for compatibility with human rights
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No
- Obtain information from the Executive about the justification for actions or inaction which affect human rights
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No
- Scrutinise State compliance with existing UN human rights treaties
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No
- Initiate inquiries of its own choosing
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No
- Scrutinise proposed human rights treaties, and other international treaties with implications for human rights, and report to Parliament thereon, prior to ratification
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No
- Ascertain and review the Executive’s reasons for not acceding to or ratifying existing international human rights treaties
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No
- Scrutinise the Executive’s response to judgments of national, regional and international courts with implications for human rights
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No
- Monitor the adequacy of the existing national system for the protection of human rights
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No
- Review the allocation and expenditure of funds in the State budget to support measures to promote and protect human rights
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No
- Other important functions, please specify
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The TLHRC was institutionalized as a full entity in 2008, borne out of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus (CHRC), originally founded in 1983.
The Commission is charged with promoting, defending and advocating for international human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights instruments. The Commission undertakes public education activities, provides expert human rights advice and encourages members of Congress to actively engage in human rights matters.
Committee involvement in international and national reporting mechanisms
Such as the UN Human Rights Council and its' Universal Periodic Review, the UN CEDAW Committee etc.
- Consulted in the preparation of national report to the UN Human Rights Council
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No information available
- Included in the official delegation which orally presented the most recent national report to the Council
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No information available
- Discussed the conclusions and recommendations which the Council adopted as a result
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No information available
- Conducted hearings with the Executive about its plans to implement the conclusions and recommendations of the Human Rights Council
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No information available
Committee powers
The Committee has the power to:
- Propose amendments to legislation
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No
- Introduce bills into Parliament
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No
- Initiate parliamentary debates on its reports or on subjects of its choosing
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Yes
- Carry out inquiries
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Yes
- Hold oral evidence hearings
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Yes
- Compel witnesses to attend
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No
- Compel the production of documents and papers
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No
- Make recommendations to the Executive
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No
- Conduct visits, including visits abroad
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Yes
- Access places of detention without notice
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No
Committee working methods
The Committee:
- Adopts an annual or longer-term work plan
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Yes
- Publishes reports on its work on the parliamentary website
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Yes
- Usually reaches consensus on the issues on which it reports
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No information available
- Systematically follows up its reports and recommendations
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Yes
- Reports regularly to Parliament on its activities
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Yes
- Number of specialised staff to service committee
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3
Cooperation and coordination
The Committee regularly cooperates and coordinates (e.g. through sharing of reports; meetings; joint follow-up action) with:
- Other parliamentary committees
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Sometimes
- Civil society organisations
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Sometimes
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National Human Rights Institution(s)
Often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights
View field in the data dictionary -
Sometimes
- Academic institutions, including research institutes on human rights and the rule of law
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Sometimes
- The media
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Often
Contact information for the Committee
- Contact / Address
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No information available
- Phone
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+1 (202) 225-3599
- Fax number
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No information available
- Web site