UUSC Supports Bill to Protect Habeas Corpus

UUSC strongly endorses Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd's bill to provide for the effective prosecution of terrorists and guarantee due process rights. S. 576 , introduced on February 13, 2007 is a response to the Military Commissions Act of 2006 which:

• Allows the president alone to decide who is and who is not an enemy of the United States.
• Eliminates the Constitution’s due process right of habeas corpus for people the president decides are enemies, and permits the government to keep hundreds of detainees imprisoned indefinitely without any charge.
• Lets the president define torture and abuse, instead of adhering to existing law and the Geneva Conventions.
• Removes accountability for top government officials.

A presidential initiative to expand executive authority and a compliant Republican Congress delivered the Military Commissions Act of 2006 last October. Many of us saw this new law as yet another infringement on civil liberties and a continuation of efforts to avoid responsibility for torture/abuse clearly stated in existing domestic and international law and the Geneva Conventions. While we call the United States a nation of laws, the administration reserves its alleged right to be the sole "decider" as to which laws to obey.

S. 576 is the opening salvo in what will become an ongoing dialogue to determine the responsibility of the administration to protect civil liberties, to obey the law and the Constitution, and to respect the Geneva Conventions.

For the complete text of Sen. Dodd's bill, visit this very helpful site. (In addition to finding bills and laws by name or number, one can e-mail senators and representatives, discover what's happening in committees, find the congressional calendar, and more!)

Stay tuned for more information about congressional action on the protection of civil liberties and the Constitution, torture/abuse, extraordinary rendition, and the Geneva Conventions.