John Conyers, Jr.

From KeyWiki

John Conyers, Jr. is a far left member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 14th district of Michigan. He is chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Serving his 21st term in Congress, he is the second most senior member of the House and dean of the Congressional Black Caucus. He was also a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and an original member of President Nixon’s Enemies List.

Among his accomplishments in Congress: the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, the Motor Voter Bill of 1993, the Martin Luther King Holiday Act of 1983, the Alcohol Warning Label Act of 1988, and the Jazz Preservation Act of 1987. A legendary force for peace, civil rights and social justice, Rep. Conyers has worked closely with PDA to hold the Bush Administration accountable for manipulating Iraq intelligence, and in exposing voting irregularities in Ohio in 2004. He is a Korean War veteran.

Conyers is married to the former Monica Esters.

Early life/education

John Conyers, Jr. was born in 1929 in Detroit, Michigan. After graduating from Detroit public schools, he earned his B.A. degree in 1957 and his J.D. degree in 1958 from Wayne State University. Before beginning a career as a private attorney, Conyers served one year in Korea as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was awarded combat and merit citations^[1].

Political career

In 1958, Conyers began his work in politics as an aide to Congressman John Dingell, whom he served until 1961. Conyers made history when he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1964 on a platform of jobs, justice and peace. During his years in Congress, "social justice and economic opportunity" have remained focal points of Conyers' platform.

Conyers was re-elected in November 2006 to his twenty-first term in the House, presenting Michigan's 14th Congressional District. His district includes Detroit and the Wayne County communities of Dearborn Heights, Pointe Shores, Grosse Pointe Woods, Harper Woods, Highland Park and Redford. Conyers is the longest-serving African American in the history of the House. He is the dean and a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus^[2].

National Lawyers Guild

Conyers has served on the national executive board of the National Lawyers Guild, the foremost legal bulwark of the Communist Party, its front organizations, and controlled unions.^[3]

Trade Unionists for Peace

In 1966, Conyers spoke at the founding convention of Trade Unionists for Peace which was established by leftist labor leaders as a lobby against United States forces remaining in Vietnam. (TUP was run by Charles Walters, a shop steward for the United Automobile Workers. Former Communist Bereniece Baldwin testified under oath, in 1954, before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, that Walters was a member of the Communist Party USA). In 1966, Walters was editor of Labor Today, a communist controlled publication. Conyers has written for Labor Today.^[4]

Against the Vietnam War

Conyers adopted the position that the Vietnam War was a racist conflict and he was one of only four members of the House of Representatives to vote against military support for U.S. troops in Vietnam.^[5]

Black voting "bloc"

In 1968, Conyers told The Worker, a Communist Party USA publication, that he was organizing a committee of blacks to evaluate candidates for the 1968 election. It was part of his overall program to organize American Negroes into one voting bloc. For his evaluating committee, he had chosen, among others, the revolutionaries Stokely Carmichael, Ralph Abernathy and Floyd B. McKissick.^[6]

Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights

In 1965 John Conyers was a guest speaker with Communist Party USA member Frank Wilkinson at a March 27 Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights supper-workshop-confrence at McGiffert House in Chicago^[7].

World Peace Council connection

In 1978 Congressmen John Burton, Ted Weiss, Ron Dellums, John Conyers, Don Edwards, Charles Rangel and others... attended^[8]a Soviet front World Peace Council organized meeting on Capitol Hill.

The WPC delegation, was led by its President, Romesh Chandra, a member of the Communist Party of India. Conyers welcomed this group, saying "You have joined us to give courage and inspiration in our fight for disarmament and against the neutron bomb."^[9]

WPC delegation members included KGB Colonel Radomir Bogdanov and Oleg Kharkhardin of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union International Department.^[10]

In 1981 another World Peace Council delegation led by Romesh Chandra toured the U.S. to publicize the "nuclear freeze" then being promoted by Leonid Brezhnev.

This group met with several Congressmen at the Capitol, including John Conyers, George Crockett, Ron Dellums, Don Edwards, and other Democrats.^[11]

These Democratic Congressmen made House offices available for meetings with the WPC delegates.

During one of the meetings in these Congressmen's offices an official of the Communist Party USA was present and made a speech recommending that the "peace movement" unite in supporting the cause of several terrorist groups including the PLO and the Communist guerillas in EI Salvador.^[12]

Conyers has consistently voted against every new U.S. weapons program and opposed the defense budgets. The American Security Council rated him at 0% for 1988.^[13]

The Chile letter

On August 1 1979 Thirty-five U.S. Congressmen signed a letter^[14]to President Jimmy Carter demanding that private bank loans to Chile be barred unless the Chilean government chose to extradite three military officials, including the former director of the Chilean intelligence service. The three had been indicted for complicity in the assassination of marxist Unidad Popular government member and KGB agent Orlando Letelier and the killing of Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) staffer Ronni Moffitt in 1976.

In May 1978 the Chief Justice of the Chilean Supreme Court rejected the U.S. request for extradition.

Chief sponsor of the letter was Rep. Tom Harkin (D-IA), who was joined by Congressmen John Burton (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Robert Kastenmeier (D-WI), Ron Dellums (D-CA), Berkley Bedell (D-IA), Richard Ottinger (D-NY), Fred Richmond (D-NY), Robert Drinan (D-MA), Leon Panetta (D-CA), Don Edwards (D-CA); Norman Mineta (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA}, Anthony Beileson (D-CA) George Brown (D-CA), Toby Moffett (D-CT), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Eugene Atkinson (D-PA), Michael Barnes (D-MD), David Bonior (D-MI), Adam Benjamin (D-IN), William Brodhead (D-MI), Robert Carr (D-MI), Tom Daschle (D-SD), Tom Downey (D-NY), Harold Hollenbeck (R-NJ), Pete Kostmayer (D-PA), Stewart McKinney (R-CT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Andrew Maguire (D-NJ) Richard Nolan (DFL-MN), Gerry Studds (D-MA), Bruce Vento (DFL-MN) and Howard Wolpe (D-MI).

The Harkin letter characterized the Chilean government as "an enemy of the American people" and urged the President to "take strong action against this terrorist government." The letter was released (9 A.M. on August 1 1979) at the same time a press statement from the Washington, DC, Chile Legislative Center of the National Coordinating Center in Solidarity with Chile, staffed by veterans of the Venceremos Brigade and the Communist Party USA, supported the Congressional letter and urged pressure so that the State Department does not accept a military trial of the three Chileans in Chile as a substitute for extradition and trial in the US.

The IPS connection

"Alternative Budgets"

In 1975 a group of 47 members of Congress, led by John Conyers, asked radical Washington D.C "think tank" the Institute for Policy Studies to prepare an "alternative budget" to that proposed by President Ford. This request was repeated in 1976 and 1978, by 56 legislators.

The 1978 document called for "a socialist housing program...radical social change in the educational system...a 50% cut in the Defense budget". . .and "disengagement" from America's overseas commitments.

In 1983 sixty Congressmen went back to the IPS with a request for another "alternative" budget.^[15]

Progressive Hill Staff Group

Ron Dellums' Congressional staffers along with those of John Conyers launched the Progressive Hill Staff Group, made up of aides to left-wing Congressmen. Among other actions this group was active in the trend for Congress to short circuit the State Department on Foreign Affairs. They organized a conference in 1983 for three members of the Sandinista government of Nicaragua to address more than 100 Congressional staffers and press reporters on Capitol Hill. The State Department was given no advance notice of the meeting.^[16]

The Washington School

The Washington School, founded by the Institute for Policy Studies, in 1978, was an important means of influencing Congress and the Democratic Party. Courses on defense, foreign affairs, and domestic policies are taught there by IPS officers and staffers, and other American or foreign radical "experts." A large number of members of Congress and staffers have attended these schools. Several legislators have also taught there, including the following:

• Tom Harkin
• Paul Tsongas
• Mark Hatfield
• John Conyers
• Ron Dellums
• James Abourezk
• George Miller
• J. William Fulbright
• Henry Reuss^[17]

IVI-IPO

In 1981 John Conyers was a Vice President of Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization^[18].

National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression

The 10th Anniversary Conference of the Communist Party USA front National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression was held in Chicago, May 13-15 1983, at the McCormick Inn - featured speakers included John Conyers^[19]

Supporting the PLO

In 1984 Jesse Jackson, John Conyers and George Crockett, were among the signers of a telegram sent by a Palestine Liberation Organization support group to President Reagan demanding "immediate sanctions against Israel."^[20]

War Danger and the Lebanon Crisis conference

On February 11 1984, Noam Chomsky addressed "The War Danger and the Lebanon Crisis-Issues For The US Peace Movement" conference, organized by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, held at the United Methodist Building Conference Rooms, Washington, DC.

Other speakers included Dan Connell, Congressman John Conyers, Neta Crawford, Stephen Green, Robin Madrid, Rev. Paul Mayer, Jack O'Dell, Dr. Seth Tillman, Don Will, Ellen Siegel, and Dr. James Zogby.^[21]

Voted against support for "Contras"

The Congressional Record of February 3, 1988 shows that the following leading Democratic Party Congressmen voted against aid to the Nicaraguan Freedom Fighters - the "Contras"- then fighting against the Marxist-Leninist Sandinista government of Nicaragua:

Addressed Communist Party USA, front meeting

An ad/notice was placed in the Guardian, November 8, 1989, concerning an upcoming U.S. Peace Council national conference. The text of the notice was:

"End The Cold War Fund Human Needs" U.S. Peace Council's Tenth Anniversary National Conference - Boston, Mass., Nov. 10-12, 1989

Speakers Included:^[22]

• Leslie Cagan
• Rep.John Conyers - (D-Mich)
• Prof.Gerald Horne
• Prof. Michio Kaku
• Robert Krimsky
• Prof. Manning Marable
• Jack O'Dell - Rainbow Coalition Operation PUSH
• Dennis Rivera - Local 1199 Drug & Hospital Workers Union
• Angela Sanbrano- CISPES
• Bernie Sanders
• Holly Sklar
• Zehdi Terzi - Palestine Liberation Organisation
• Dessima Williams - Grenada Foundation

Peace for Cuba Appeal

In 1994 John Conyers was an initiator of the International Peace for Cuba Appeal, an affiliate of the Workers World Party dominated International Action Center.

Other prominent initiators included Cuban Intelligence agent Philip Agee, academic Noam Chomsky and Charles Rangel^[23].

Congressional Progressive Caucus

In 1998 John Conyers Democrat was listed as a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.^[24]

As of February 20 2009 John Conyers was listed as a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.^[25]

Democratic Socialists of America connections

John Conyers was a special guest on day one of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee/New American Movement Unity Convention in Detroit March 21/22 1982, that resulted in the formation of Democratic Socialists of America^[26].

In 2003 John Conyers was a keynote speaker^[27]at the Democratic Socialists of America conference in Detroit-with Cornel West, Holly Sklar and Harold Meyerson.

Conyers opened by saying that “with a crypto-fascist administration, there’s no singular purpose more important than unelecting the unelected president”

In 2005 DSA's Democratic Left-Spring edition, called^[28]Congressman John Conyers (a key DSA ally in Congress)...

In June 2006 David Bonior addressed^[29]a Detroit DSA fund-raiser for Bernie Sanders.

On June 25th, DSA PAC held a fundraising reception at UAW Local 909 in Warren on behalf of Representative Bernie Sanders who is running for an open Senate seat in Vermont. Over 140 people attended. The event raised over $12,000 for the Sanders for Senate campaign. Hosts for the event included former U.S. Representative and former House Minority Whip David Bonior, U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr., UAW Vice-President Richard Shoemaker, and Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO President Saundra Williams.

A December 29 1998 email^[30]from DSA membership officer Solveig Wilder claimed that Conyers was actually a DSA member.

"Ron Dellums (who recently retired from Congress) is a Vice Chair of DSA, and Danny Davis, John Conyers, and Major Owens are all DSA Members."

Democratic Agenda/Socialist Caucus

For groups and organizations seeking radical social change within the Democratic Party, the National Convention of 1980 had at least one historic first - formation of a Socialist Caucus of delegates. Organized by the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and by the Democratic Agenda which was DSOC's cadre and supporters within the Democratic Party and was based in DSOC' s New York office and at 1730 M Street, NW, Washington, DC. Some 31 delegates and alternates from twelve states and Democrats Abroad attended the Socialist Caucus.

As a preliminary to the convention's Socialist Caucus meeting, , indeed as a "building event" and as a continued show of support for Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the Democratic Agenda sponsored a convention rally at New York's Town Hall. The speakers included Herman Badillo, Julian Bond, Fran Bennick, Harry Britt, Cesar Chavez, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI}, Douglas Fraser, Murray Finley, Michael Harrington, Terry Herndon, Ruth Jordan, Ruth Messinger, Eleanor Smeal, Gloria Steinem and William Winpisinger.

DSOC works within the Democratic Party, said Harrington, because of the party's relationships with organized workers, blacks, feminists, environmentalists and other "progressive groups."

The Socialist Caucus circulated a list of convention delegates who were caucus members, including;^[31]

Peace activism

In July 2006 Conyers addressed^[32] the Peace Action National Congress at Wayne State University, with Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and activist and author Tom Hayden.

Progressive Democrats of America

John Conyers serves on the Advisory Board^[33] of Progressive Democrats of America .

Pacifica Radio

Conyers has been involved with the "WPFW since it's very inception," said Acie Byrd, the station's Board Gala Chair. Conyers serves as the Honorary Chair for the evening that Howard Zinn received the Pacifica Peace and Justice Award. He served as the Honorary Co-Chair with Attorney Roscoe Dellums. The WPFW is a Pacifica Radio affiliate.^[34]

Obama supporter

"Single Payer" advocate

John Conyers wrote on his blog December 28, 2008^[35];

Already nearly 9,000 people have sent the message online to the incoming Obama Administration that single payer is the one true health care reform that the country desperately needs. Now there are citizens groups across the country meeting to come together to collectively call upon the President-elect to consider single payer health care.

Staff

The following have worked as staff members for John Conyers:^[36]

External links

• Conyers' website with the House of Representatives

References

v • d • e Conferences and Events by Decade 1930s World Congress Against War 1940s Scientific and Cultural Conference for World Peace • Win-the-Peace Conference • World Congress for Peace in Paris • World Congress of Intellectuals 1950s Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs 1970s Angola Support Conference • Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee Convention • Hard Times Conference • National Anti-Imperialist Conference in Solidarity With African Liberation • National Convention of the New American Movement 1980s Socialist Scholars Conference • Conference on the World after Nuclear War • National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression 10th Anniversary Conference • National Council of New American Movement meeting • National Convention of the New American Movement 1990s 1st Committees of Correspondence Conference • Back to Basics conference • Committees of Correspondence founding conference • Malcolm X: Radical Tradition and a Legacy of Struggle • Radical Scholars & Activists Conference • Socialist Scholars Conference 2000s Left Forum • RadFest/Midwest Social Forum • Socialist Scholars Conference • Twenty-First Century Socialism conference • Mobilization to End Poverty • Take Back America 2010s Young Democratic Socialists National Conference • Left Forum • A Century of May Days Labor Conference