Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) announced that they were reintroducing the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act as an amendment to a defense authorization bill [17 sep 2007].
Dodd’s statement:
Mr. President, I rise today to urge our colleagues to join with me in supporting the Specter-Leahy-Dodd amendment to restore the writ of habeas corpus for individuals held in U.S. custody. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this amendment and a cosponsor of the underlying bill from which it is drawn — S. 185, the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act, also introduced by Senators Specter and Leahy.
[…]
Leahy’s statement:
Habeas corpus was recklessly undermined in last year’s Military Commissions Act. Like the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the elimination of habeas rights was an action driven by fear, and it was a stain on America’s reputation in the world. This is a time of testing. Future generations will look back to examine the choices we made during a time when security was too often invoked as a watchword to convince us to slacken our defense of liberty and the rule of law.
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more info below…
Christy Hardin Smith at FDL reported yesterday that “…Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has threatened to mount a filibuster of this bill…/”.
The list of cosponsors has grown to 31, with the recent addition of Sen. Patty Murray [D-WA]. You can become a Citizen Co-Sponsor HERE, and Sen. Dodd’s office will be tracking the results.
The missing D‘s:
Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
Max Baucus (D-MT)
Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Robert Casey (D-PA)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
James Webb (D-VA)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)Contact information for the entire Senate is HERE
Additional information can be found in previous BT diaries, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Once again, l’m asking that everyone contact their Senator if they have not signed on to co-sponsor this bill.
Thanks.
Update [2007-9-20 15:23:42 by dada]: Sen. Leahy: “I’m not backing down…”
I want to thank all 17,000 of you who signed on as citizen co-sponsors of the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act and lobbied your Senators by phone and email — as well as the millions of other Americans who share our commitment to this critical issue. Yesterday’s 56-43 vote clearly showed that a majority of the Senate — and a majority of Americans — favor the restoration of our basic civil liberties.
Congress made a mistake of historical proportions when it suspended habeas rights a few years ago — and unfortunately Senate Republicans made another mistake yesterday by mounting a filibuster and failing to allow us to restore it. The good news is we’ve picked up 8 more votes since the Senate voted to suspend habeas corpus last fall, but we still need 4 more Senators to reach a filibuster-proof 60 vote margin.
I am disappointed that we did not succeed yesterday — but we’re not giving up, not by a long shot. Defending the Constitution is not always politically easy, especially in a time of war. But our nation is at its greatest when it stands up for the Constitution, during the best of times and the worst of times. That’s why I believe in the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act, and why my colleagues and I are still working hard to pass it.
I am proud to have led the bipartisan effort to restore our fundamental rights along with my colleagues, including Senator Chris Dodd, Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Arlen Specter, and many others. Our bill had widespread support from conservatives, liberals, and independents alike.
With hard work and with the strength of our Constitution, I am confident that we will ultimately prevail. I thank you and my fellow Senators who stood up for an America that upholds its basic values and rights. I’m not backing down and will keep you posted on how you can help us restore habeas corpus rights in the coming weeks.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Patrick Leahy
U.S. Senator
Support the Habeas Corpus Restoration Amendment
