The Constitution and Limited Government

The Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government is one of six subcommittees within the House Committee on the Judiciary. It serves as a specialized panel that reviews legislation and holds initial hearings on constitutional and civil rights matters before they reach the full committee. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over constitutional rights, constitutional amendments, federal civil rights, voting rights, claims against the United States, non-immigration private claims bills, ethics in government, tort liability, federal charters of incorporation, and related matters. This focused jurisdiction allows the subcommittee to develop expertise in fundamental questions about individual liberties and the scope of government power.

Chaired by Representative Chip Roy of Texas, with Ranking Member Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania, the subcommittee has 16 members divided between the two parties. Recent hearings have examined diverse constitutional questions, including birthright citizenship and the Fourteenth Amendment, legislative reforms to address prosecutorial conduct, balanced budget amendment proposals, census accuracy, and the application of immigration policy in schools. These hearings reflect the subcommittee's role in exploring how constitutional principles apply to contemporary policy debates and whether legislative changes are needed to protect constitutional rights.