John Conyers facts for kids

John Conyers
Dean of the United States House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2015
Preceded by	John Dingell
Chairperson of the House Judiciary Committee
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Jim Sensenbrenner
Succeeded by	Lamar Smith
Chairperson of the House Government Operations Committee
In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Jack Brooks
Succeeded by	Bill Clinger
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Hansen Clarke
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 14th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Dennis Hertel
Succeeded by	Gary Peters
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 1st district
In office January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Lucien Nedzi
Succeeded by	Bart Stupak
Personal details
Born	John James Conyers, Jr. May 16, 1929 (1929-05-16) Highland Park, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Monica Esters (1990–present)
Children	John Carl
Alma mater	Wayne State University
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	Army National Guard United States Army
Years of service	1948–1950 1950–1957
Battles/wars	Korean War

John James Conyers Jr. (born May 16, 1929) is a retired American politician of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. Representative for Michigan from 1965 to 2017. The districts he represented always included part of western Detroit, and during his final three terms included many of Detroit's western suburbs, as well as a large portion of the Downriver area.

Conyers' official portrait in the 93rd Congress 1973

Conyers served more than 50 years in Congress, becoming the sixth-longest serving member of Congress in U.S. history; he is also longest serving African American member of Congress ever. Conyers was also the Dean of the House of Representatives, and by the end of his term was the last remaining member of Congress who had served since the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson.

After serving in the Korean War, Conyers became active in the civil rights movement. He also served as an aide to Congressman John Dingell before winning election to the House in 1964. He co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969 and established a reputation as one of the most liberal members of Congress. Conyers joined the liberal Congressional Progressive Caucus after it was founded in 1991. Conyers supports the creation of a single-payer healthcare system and sponsored the United States National Health Care Act to achieve that goal. He also sponsored a bill to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday. Conyers ran for Mayor of Detroit in 1989 and 1993 but was defeated in the primary in both elections.

Conyers at the All People's Congress, Detroit 1981

Conyers served as the ranking Democratic member on the House Committee on the Judiciary from 1995 to 2007 and again from 2011 to 2017. He served as chairman of that committee from 2007 to 2011 and as Chairman of the House Oversight Committee from 1989 to 1995. On November 26, 2017, he announced his intention to step aside from that position while he was investigated by the House for allegations of sexual harassment.

Later in November 2017, in the wake of allegations that he had sexually harassed female staff members and secretly used taxpayer money to settle a harassment claim, the news media reported that Conyers intended to retire from Congress at the end of his current term, and not seek re-election in 2018. On December 5, 2017, Conyers announced his resignation, effective immediately, and his endorsement of his son, John Conyers III, to replace him in Congress.

Images for kids

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  President William J. Clinton Shaking Hands with Representative John Conyers, Jr 1993

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  John Conyers and Trish Brown at the Wayne-Westland NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner 2012