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October 2, 2006, 8:13 pm
By
N.Y. Dem Rep. Louise Slaughter
The Military Commissions Act passed by Congress last week represents a shocking assault on the fundamental freedoms and liberties we have been told that we are fighting to defend.
This bill will dramatically increase the President's right to detain men and women the world over, and to hold them indefinitely without charge. What is more, it will serve as a backdoor legalization of all but the most brutal of interrogation methods, taking our nation down a path we have chastised so many other countries for following.
On Thursday in the Senate, my friend and New York Delegation colleague Hillary Clinton told a story about our country's first great military leader, a man who went on to become our first great political leader. It is deeply relevant to the position in which we find ourselves today.
On Christmas Day in 1776, in the midst of the Revolutionary War, General George Washington launched a daring raid that culminated in the capture of numerous Hessian soldiers, foreign mercenaries known for their brutality and who were fighting for the British.
Despite what they had done to American soldiers on many previous occasions, Washington ordered his men to treat them humanely. "Let them have not reason to complain of our copying the brutal example of the British army," he said.
Read more...
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October 2, 2006, 10:11 am
By
Ga. Dem. Rep. Cynthia McKinney
On Wednesday, September 27, from 2:00 - 5:30 pm at the Capitol Building, I hosted a briefing for staff and Members of Congress into the history, experimentation, techniques, training, exporting and use of torture by U.S. government in past covert operations abroad and in current operations during the war on terrorism, as well as attempts to make torture, cruel and degrading treatment of prisoners legal and to grant immunity to those who use it.
Our speakers included:
Prof. Alfred McCoy, Ph.D., author of A Question of Torture (statement read)
Jennifer Harbury, Atty., Torture Abolition Survivor & Support Coalition
Elizabeth Alexander, National Prisoner Project, ACLU
Morton Sklar, World Organization for Human Rights, USA
Dr. Juan Romagoza, Central American torture victim
Tara McKelvey, American Prospect magazine editor, ACLU plaintiff in NSA suit
Joey Mogul, Atty., Chicago attorney, police torture of African Americans
They covered a range of topics we want that have arisen since 9/11 as well as current legislative efforts to legitimize its use, including:
* Historical development of specific techniques by both Army and CIA operations, which were visible at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and throughout covert operations in Central America.
* History of US experimentation with, use, training, exporting, funding and direct supervision of torture since the end of WWII.
* The flawed logic of those who support the use of torture, even in "ticking time-bomb" scenarios, including recent legislation on these issues as well as attempts to secretly revise the Army Field Manual rules on interrogations.
* Abandonment of Geneva Convention and international standards in relation to covert operations and the war on terror, the creation of a dual legal system that allows abuses, and the effective legal immunity for torture in US courts, despite the existence of laws that ban and punish it.
Read more...
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October 2, 2006, 9:58 am
By
Fla. GOP Sen. Mel Martinez
Hurricanes cause more economic damage to a more widespread area than any other natural disaster. Despite all the research we've done to date, there are still a lot of unknowns about hurricanes, predicting intensity, storm surge, and how certain structures are able to survive the fiercest storms.
From a federal level, we have a duty to invest more in research, coordinate efforts, and make the data readily available for real world applications.
Our bill, the National Hurricane Research Initiative, was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators and it takes National Science Board recommendations and builds a foundation for better, more targeted, and more coordinated research.
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October 2, 2006, 9:25 am
By
S.D. GOP Sen. John Thune
I'm disappointed this critical relief package was not passed before we adjourned for October. The fight for disaster relief for South Dakota farmers and ranchers is far from over, however. As soon as the Senate comes back in November, I will be looking for any legislative opportunities to get much-needed relief to our state's agriculture industry. Disaster relief for our farmers and ranchers is not a maybe; it's a must. It's a must for our state's economy, a must for South Dakota's agriculture industry and a must for the families whose livelihood depends on the fruits of their farms and ranches. I will not give up on this important fight.
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October 2, 2006, 8:57 am
By
Calif. Dem. Rep. Tom Lantos
The House Government Reform Committee, of which I have been a member for many years, a few days ago released an explosive report released on the degree to which convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff influenced White House officials.
The 95-page report by the committee, fashioned largely on a bipartisan basis, reveals extensive contacts and previously unreported influence that Abramoff wielded in the Administration.
Just when I thought I had seen and heard it all, this extraordinary report explicitly depicts the pathetic depths to which the influence peddlers and their friends have fallen. I am sickened by the contents of this report and the public corruption it graphically displays. Even though several people involved in this scandal have pled guilty to criminal offenses, this report demonstrates that our system has run amok. Congress has failed seriously to address this problem, and I hope this report will convince the Republican leadership that lawmakers must fulfill our obligation and end this intolerable and outrageous abuse.
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October 2, 2006, 7:05 am
By
Fla. Dem. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
This goes beyond Rep. Foley, it goes to the values of the Congressional leadership and the fact that when children felt that sexual advances were being made against them by people in positions of authority, the Congressional leadership of this Congress did nothing.
What kind of message does this send to these boys and girls that are in the page program to experience our Congress and our democracy up close? Apparently the message was, if you are a member of Congress then you are above the law, that we will turn a blind eye to accusations of soliciting minors.
These are not family values, these are not American values. We need an investigation into whom in the Congressional leadership, and in the page program, knew that this was going on and why they chose to ignore these children when they asked for help.
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October 2, 2006, 5:20 am
By
Fla. Dem. Sen. Bill Nelson
The 36 percent interest-rate cap is a first but significant step towards cracking down of unscrupulous lenders who prey on those who are already financially vulnerable. This will help prevent many young men and women in the military from becoming victims of huge interest rates and unmanageable debt.
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October 2, 2006, 4:41 am
By
Minn. GOP Sen. Norm Coleman
It is critically important to have this legislation in place. I think the compromise that has been worked out is one that will allow us to vigorously do what has to be done to deal with the detainees and others, and to do it in a matter consistent with American values and standards. I think we have worked out a tremendous compromise. Senators McCain, Graham, and Chairman Warner are dear friends I have great respect for. I think they’ve worked out a good deal here.
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September 30, 2006, 10:15 am
By
N.H. GOP Sen. John Sununu
I think the party is in a relatively good position, certainly a better position than we were two or three months ago. This week we have completed work on the military commissions legislation, which I think is a compromise that’s consistent with the Detainee Treatment Act that Senator McCain worked so hard to pass a year ago. It allows the CIA to continue interrogation programs that fit within the Detainee Treatment Act and it meets our obligations under the Geneva Conventions. We will also do the Homeland Security legislation and Defense Appropriations. That’s a pretty full week and the members will go home feeling positive and ready to campaign for a month.
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September 29, 2006, 12:37 pm
By
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
As this Republican Rubber Stamp Congress prepares to come to a close, our last real opportunity to get things done has been squandered. Republicans have failed to bring the minimum wage to the floor for a fair vote. They have failed to present a plan for our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have failed to make college more affordable. They have failed middle class Americans, working families, and the legacy of this great nation. But they have succeeded in their primary goal. They have succeeded in blocking any reform, any action, any legislation that would bring meaningful change to the American people.
The Republicans flaunt their "record" on national security and Iraq, but their actions during the 109th Congress show their ineptitude on these issues, their inability to face facts, and their failure to take action. Instead of holding the Administration accountable for wasteful spending and poor strategic decisions, the Republican Congress blindly follows the President's slogan of "stay the course." The truth behind their rhetoric is that they have no plan for Iraq.
Although the National Intelligence Estimate states that the war in Iraq is hindering our overall efforts in fighting terrorism, the Republican Congress refuses to face the facts. It's been five years since 9/11, yet not one person who has been directly responsible for the attacks has been prosecuted and punished. The Republicans' answer? Pass a bill that is likely to be ruled unconstitutional, further delaying justice. This Republican Congress has failed to act on the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. They have allowed the glaring deficiencies identified by the Commission to remain, leaving us critically vulnerable to the terrorist threat. As a result, our nation is not as safe as it should be.
This week marks the anniversary of the Republicans' Contract with America. They promised fiscal responsibility; they gave us record deficits. They promised to take back our streets; they eliminated the COPS program and cut funding for first responders. They promised to restore the American Dream; they refused to raise the minimum wage, putting the basic survival needs of millions of American families out of reach.
This pattern of abuse and neglect is the Republican modus operandi. It's the way they run things. It's what they do. And on behalf of American families, we must put a stop to it.
House Democrats stand against adjourning Congress today. The people's business is too important to put off any longer.
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