Today, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 724), introduced by Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22) and Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-16) to criminalize certain acts of animal cruelty. In 2010, Congress passed the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, which made the creation and distribution of animal crushing videos illegal. However, the underlying acts of cruelty against animals were not included. The PACT Act closes this loop... Read more

Yesterday evening, the House Judiciary Committee passed Congressman Ted Deutch's (FL-22) legislation (H.R. 4018) that amends the Elderly and Family Reunification for Certain Non-Violent Offenders Pilot Program reauthorized by the FIRST STEP Act of 2018. The Elderly and Family Reunification for Certain Non-Violent Offenders Pilot Program permits the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to transfer eligible nonviolent elderly prisoners into a home detention pilot program based on the prisoner serving two-thirds... Read more

Congressman Ted Deutch's (D-FL) Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, legislation to make animal cruelty a federal offense, has garnered more than 270 bipartisan cosponsors, making it one of the most widely supported bills in the 116th Congress. Sydney Helfand participated in Monday's press conference. She is a high-school students who started a petition to support the PACT Act and garnered over 650,000 signatures. Congressman Deutch introduced the PACT Act with Congressman Vern Buch... Read more

Following passage of a supplemental funding bill for border security and humanitarian assistance on the southern border, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22) issued this statement: "The conditions in these federal facilities housing migrant children are appalling and should offend every American. There is no excuse for failing to provide these children with even the most basic necessities to keep them clean and safe. The Administration must answer to Congress and the American people what will be done ... Read more

This morning, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22) voted to pass a landmark bill to extend civil rights protections for LGBTQ Americans. The Equality Act adds sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes and prohibits discrimination in employment, public education, housing, and other areas. "No one should face discrimination because of who they love or how they identify," said Congressman Deutch, a Vice Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. "Homophobia and transphobia are inc... Read more

Today, Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL) introduced legislation to provide needed support for LGBT older adults and increase their access to health care and culturally competent services. The Ruthie and Connie LGBT Elder Americans Act updates the Older Americans Act to better serve LGBT elders, who face disproportionate barriers to accessing support programs and are at a higher risk of experiencing isolation and poverty. T... Read more

Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced H.R. 1045, the Immigrant Detainee Legal Rights Act. The legislation would require immigration detention centers to inform immigrant detainees of their legal rights within five days of their arrival at the facilities. It would also require the Attorney General to develop and implement legal orientation programs in every detention center that houses immigrants. Not only would this legislation provide fundamental legal prot... Read more

Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) reintroduced the "Status of the Sixth Amendment Act" (H.R. 568), important legislation to defend Americans' right to counsel. The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that “in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to…have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.” Since 1972 the U.S. Supreme Cour... Read more

Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after Congress passed the First Step Act, a comprehensive bipartisan criminal justice reform bill: “In May I voted against the House version of the First Step Act because I felt that it missed an opportunity to address the significant problems with our federal sentencing statutes. This legislation we passed today, which I supported, includes broader and much needed criminal justice re... Read more

Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22), Ranking Member of the House Ethics Committee, issued this statement on reports that House and Senate negotiators reached a compromise on legislation to reform sexual harassment policies in Congress: “As women end their silence to expose assault and harassment in the workplace, Congress must follow their lead and fix our broken system. “As the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, I've worked with Republicans and Democrats to push for changes that will improv... Read more