H.R. 4371, the Kayla Hamilton Act; H.R. 4323, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025; H.R. 3770, the FIREARM Act; H.R. 3592, the Protect LNG Act of 2025; H.R. 4465, To amend chapters 4, 10, and 131 of title 5, United States Code, as necessary to keep those chapters current and to correct related technical errors; H.R. 4499, To make technical amendments to update statutory references to provisions reclassified to title 34, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors; H.R. 4523, To make technical amendments to title 49, United States Code, as necessary to improve the Code; H.R. 4584, To make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain provisions which were formerly classified to chapters 14 and 19 of title 25, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors; H.R. 5185, To make improvements in the enactment of title 41, United States Code, into a positive law title and to improve the Code; H.R. 5182, To make improvements in the enactment of title 54, United States Code, into a positive law title and to correct related technical errors; H.R. 5174, To make revisions in title 51, United States Code, as necessary to keep the title current, and to make technical amendments to improve the United States Code; H.R. 5210, To make technical amendments to update statutory references in certain provisions classified to title 2, United States Code, title 50, United States Code, and title 52, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors; and H.R. 5204, To make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain provisions classified to title 7, title 20, and title 43, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors

Committee on the Judiciary

2025-09-10

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Source: Congress.gov

Summary

This meeting of the committee addressed several legislative items, including the Kayla Hamilton Act, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, and the Firearm Act, along with multiple technical correction bills. Discussions often veered into highly contentious political debates, particularly concerning immigration policies and the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Several amendments were proposed and debated, reflecting deep partisan divisions on key issues.

Themes

Kayla Hamilton Act (HR 4371) and Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs)

The Kayla Hamilton Act, introduced by Representative Russell William Fry, aims to reform the Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) program following the murder of Kayla Hamilton by an alleged MS-13 gang member who entered the U.S. as a UAC. Proponents of the bill emphasized the need for comprehensive screenings, including for gang affiliation and criminal history, and the placement of dangerous UACs in secure facilities. They criticized the Biden-Harris administration's policies, claiming they led to inadequate vetting of UACs and sponsors, and highlighted cases of UACs committing serious crimes. An Office of Inspector General report was cited, detailing how ICE struggles to monitor UACs after release, with many addresses being inaccurate.

Opponents, led by Representative Jamie Raskin, argued the bill was politically motivated and not focused on children's best interests. They raised concerns about provisions for strip searches and detention based on tattoo interpretation, potentially affecting asylum seekers. Representative Jasmine Felicia Crockett proposed striking the body examination requirement, calling it an "obsession" with inspecting children's bodies and a potential source of trauma, citing the lack of a clear definition for "gang tattoo."

Jeffrey Epstein Files and Child Trafficking

Democrats repeatedly attempted to link the legislation to the need for full transparency regarding the Jeffrey Epstein files, arguing their release was directly relevant to combating child trafficking. They advocated for the release of all files, including those related to Alex Acosta's plea deal, to expose all individuals involved in Epstein's international sex trafficking ring. They accused Republicans of protecting Donald Trump and changing their stance on releasing the files due to political expediency. Representative Pramila Jayapal cited specific cases like Marina Lacerda, an immigrant child exploited by Epstein, to demonstrate the germaneness of the issue to immigration and child trafficking.

Republicans countered by asserting that the Epstein files were not germane to the immigration bill and that Democrats were using the issue for political attacks. They highlighted ongoing investigations by the Oversight Committee and accused Democrats of hypocrisy for not raising the issue more during the Biden administration. [ 00:49:19-00:49:38 ]

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Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (HR 4323)

The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, sponsored by Representative Russell William Fry, garnered bipartisan support as it seeks to provide federal relief to survivors of human trafficking. [ 03:42:35-03:42:44 ]

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 The bill allows for the vacating of convictions or expunging of arrests for nonviolent offenses committed as a direct result of being trafficked, with safeguards to ensure only true victims benefit. [ 03:45:17-03:45:46 ]

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 Representative Lucy McBath underscored the importance of this legislation in helping survivors overcome trauma and reintegrate into society.

Firearm Act (HR 3770)

The Firearm Act, introduced by Representative Darrell E. Issa, aimed to reform the process for Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs), arguing that the Biden administration had weaponized the ATF by revoking licenses for minor technical errors. Proponents argued the bill would allow FFLs to self-report minor clerical mistakes without severe penalties and would protect law-abiding businesses from undue harassment. [ 04:33:15-04:33:44 ]

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Opponents, including Representatives Jamie Raskin and Lucy McBath, criticized the bill for potentially enabling "bad apple gun dealers" to continue operating and making it harder for the ATF to enforce gun laws effectively. [ 04:15:54-04:17:01 ]

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 They argued the bill would weaken the definition of "willfulness" and create loopholes for violations. Amendments by Representative Jasmine Felicia Crockett (rejected) and Representative Lucy McBath (accepted) sought to prevent self-reporting in cases involving law enforcement injury/death and to clarify that previous unlawful conduct could infer willfulness, respectively. [ 05:02:18-05:02:22 ]

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 An amendment by Darrell E. Issa to explicitly include failure to perform required background checks as an uncorrectable violation was also accepted.

Protect LNG Act (HR 3592)

Representative Wesley Parish Hunt introduced the Protect LNG Act to limit what he termed "frivolous litigation" against Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects. He argued that the bill would streamline legal processes for LNG facilities, protecting a vital energy industry that provides jobs and cleaner energy.

Opponents, including Representative Jamie Raskin and Representative Sydney Kai Kamlager-Dove, strongly opposed the bill, stating it would exempt LNG projects from critical environmental and public safety laws and limit judicial oversight. They argued it would silence public input, hinder accountability for environmental pollution, and disproportionately affect communities with high cancer rates near industrial sites. An amendment by Representative Mary Gay Scanlon to prohibit attorney's fees for plaintiffs in cases covered by the bill was approved, drawing criticism for potentially hindering access to legal representation for affected communities.

Technical Correction Bills

Nine technical correction bills were introduced and passed en bloc with bipartisan support. [ 05:16:36-05:16:47 ]

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 These bills, submitted by the Office of Law Revision Counsel, aim to update and maintain the U.S. Code by correcting technical errors, removing ambiguities, and updating cross-references without altering the meaning of existing laws.

Tone of the Meeting

The meeting was marked by a predominantly contentious and highly partisan tone, especially during debates on the Kayla Hamilton Act and amendments related to the Jeffrey Epstein files. There were frequent accusations of hypocrisy and politicization from both sides, leading to sharp exchanges and interruptions. Personal attacks, such as claims of "Trump derangement syndrome" and characterizations of individuals as "selfish," further fueled the heated atmosphere. However, the tone shifted towards more cooperative and bipartisan for the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act and the technical correction bills, and some amendments to the Firearm Act also found common ground. [ 05:02:18-05:02:22 ]

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[ 05:16:50-05:17:27 ]

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Participants

Transcript

The pledge for us, Tom.
Recess at any time pursuant to Committee Rule 2, House Rule 11, Clause 2.  The chairman may postpone further proceedings today on the question of approving any measure or matter or adopting an amendment for which a recorded vote is ordered.  We now recognize the gentleman from California to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.   Pursuant to notice, we call up HR 4371, the Caleb Hamilton Act for purposes of markup and move that the committee reported favorably to the House.  The clerk will report the bill.
HR 4371.
Without objection, the bill will be considered as read and open for amendment at any point.  The gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Fry, the sponsor of the legislation is recognized for an opening statement.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  Today we are here to once again discuss a tragedy and a bill bearing another name of a victim of an illegal alien crime, the Kayla Hamilton Act, named after 20-year-old Kayla Marie Hamilton.   A little more than three years ago, on July 27, 2022, Kayla Hamilton was violently attacked and murdered in her home in Aberdeen, Maryland.  During the attack, Kayla tried to call her boyfriend to help her and ended up leaving a haunting voicemail recording the struggle.  Her boyfriend later found her strangled to death, not breathing, her iPhone cord wrapped tightly around her neck.  Authorities later determined Kayla had also been sexually assaulted.  Before leaving her lifeless body, her assailant robbed her of the $6 cash that she had.   that was in her purse.  Tragically, Kayla's horrific murder was entirely preventable.   Kayla's murderer, Walter Javier Martinez, was a 16-year-old Salvadoran national.  Martinez had been encountered in March of 2022 by US Customs and Border Patrol officials at the Southwest border during the Biden-Harris administration.  He even admitted to authorities that members of his family paid $4,000 to a guide, a so-called guide, to smuggle him from El Salvador to the United States border.  As is required by law with most unaccompanied alien children,   Walter was transferred to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at HHS.  Rather than determining whether Martinez posed any threat to himself, to others, or the community, the Biden-Harris HHS promptly placed Walter with a sponsor, purportedly his first cousin, although that's in dispute.  He ran away from her home just one month after settlement, and his sponsor later told ORR that Martinez left because he, quote,   because he wanted to, quote, do what he was doing in his home country, get in trouble on the streets and hang out with gang members.  Only after Kayla's murder did any government official even attempt to find out whether Martinez had a criminal history.  The local police learned from the Salvadoran authorities that Martinez was an MS-13 gang member
With a 2020 arrest record for illicit association with the violent gang, Martinez's HHS case file, reviewed by the Judiciary Committee, also revealed that he had gang tattoos.  Why did no federal official try to determine the criminal history of a 16-year-old Salvadoran national entering the U.S.  illegally?  Because the Biden-Harris administration didn't care to.   Instead, the Secretary of HHS, Javier Becerra, cared only about moving hundreds of thousands of UACs out of HHS custody as quickly as possible.  As the New York Times reported, Becerra pressured HHS employees to expedite UAC processing and placement, saying, quote, if Henry Ford had seen this in his plants, he would have never become famous and rich.  This is not the way to do an assembly line.  Because of this careless approach, necessary checks about Martinez's background and potential affiliation   with MS-13 were never performed.  Incredibly, Biden-Harris ORR officials were in regular contact with the home countries of the UACs for reasons not associated with their criminal history.   In a 2023 transcribed interview with the committee, the director of ORR admitted that while it was commonplace for HHS to contact the consulate or embassy of the UAC's home country to verify certain documents like birth certificates, under the Biden-Harris administration, HHS was not asked those same countries about whether UACs had any relevant criminal history.  In Martinez's case, just one phone call would have made all of the difference.   Brazen criminal that he is, Martinez wrote a letter from prison admitting to four murders, two rapes, countless thefts, and other crimes.  In August of last year, justice was served when Martinez was convicted of Kayla's murder and sentenced to 70 years in prison.   Criminal organizations, cartels, and gangs have for years exploited the vulnerabilities of the UAC program, cracks that were only widened by the destructive policies put forth over the last four years.  Indeed, the case of Walter Javier Martinez is not isolated, but part of a larger disturbing pattern.
Just a few months ago in April, right outside of my district in Lancaster, South Carolina, a woman named Larisha Sherelle Thompson, a mother of two, was murdered.  Ms.  Thompson was on her way to a birthday party when six illegal aliens schemed to rob her vehicle.  Three of these individuals, a 13-year-old, a 14-year-old, and a 15-year-old, entered the U.S.  as UACs.   Horrifically, these criminal aliens randomly targeted Ms.

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