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Some Democratic Senators Still Not Cosponsoring Habeas Corpus Restoration
By Bob Geiger
Created Jul 15 2007 - 9:45am
It's been almost three weeks since I last wrote [1] about the status of
cosponsorship on the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007, a bill by
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) that would ".restore habeas corpus for those
detained by the United States." At that point, the legislation had 23
cosponsors -- 22 Democrats and Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont -- and
I thought I would check back in today and see who has stepped up to show
leadership on this issue since then.
With the addition over the last couple of weeks of Senators Byrd, Carper,
Klobuchar, McCaskill, Menendez and Nelson (Bill), there are 28 Democratic
Senators, along with Sanders, cosponsoring Specter's S. 185 [2], which could
very well come up for a vote next week as an amendment to the Defense
Department authorization bill.
Here's the cosponsor list:
a.. Joe Biden (D-DE)
b.. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
c.. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
d.. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
e.. Robert Byrd (D-WV)
f.. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
g.. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
h.. Thomas Carper (D-DE)
i.. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
j.. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
k.. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
l.. Russ Feingold (D-WI)
m.. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
n.. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
o.. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
p.. John Kerry (D-MA)
q.. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
r.. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
s.. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
t.. Carl Levin (D-MI)
u.. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
v.. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
w.. Bill Nelson (D-FL)
x.. Barack Obama (D-IL)
y.. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
z.. Ken Salazar (D-CO)
aa.. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
ab.. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
ac.. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
So I again raise the question: Where are the other Democrats?
We expect almost none of Specter's Republican colleagues to support his
leadership on something so basic to our country's creed. The GOP long ago
divorced itself of any commitment to our Constitution, so our standards for
them have been lowered accordingly. But we expect more of Democrats and
should ask why the others are not stepping up and cosponsoring this
legislation along with 29 of their colleagues (including Sanders) in the
Democratic caucus.
Can they support it when the roll call vote comes, but just not go all the
way and sign their names as cosponsoring the bill? Yes. But that's not
showing true leadership and, when it comes to one of the most basic American
rights trashed by Team Bush, you've got to stand and be counted -- in other
words, it's not enough to just show up for the vote.
The following Democratic Senators have still not signed up to cosponsor the
Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007:
a.. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
b.. Max Baucus (D-MT)
c.. Evan Bayh (D-IN)
d.. Robert Casey (D-PA)
e.. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
f.. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
g.. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
h.. Tim Johnson (D-SD)
i.. Herb Kohl (D-WI)
j.. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
k.. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
l.. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
m.. Patty Murray (D-WA)
n.. Ben Nelson (D-NE)
o.. Mark Pryor (D-AR)
p.. Jack Reed (D-RI)
q.. Charles Schumer (D-NY)
r.. Jon Tester (D-MT)
s.. James Webb (D-VA)
t.. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
In fairness, Senators Mikulski and Wyden have both signed on as cosponsors
to Senator Chris Dodd's Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007 [3], which
restores habeas corpus and takes it a step further by essentially gutting
the entire Military Commissions Act. While their hearts are obviously in the
right place, there's no reason they can't cosponsor both bills and, to the
best of my knowledge, Dodd's bill will not be coming to a vote before the
August Senate recess.
In addition, Tim Johnson is still recovering from a brain hemorrhage and I'm
unclear as to whether he can cosponsor legislation from afar.
"Habeas corpus was recklessly undermined in last year's legislation. I hope
that the new Senate will reconsider this historic error in judgment and set
the matter right," said Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in the June 7 Judiciary
Committee hearings that forwarded S. 185 to the full Senate. "Like the
internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the elimination of
habeas rights was an action driven by fear and another stain on America's
reputation in the world."
So get on the phone Monday and call the Senators still not committed to
cosponsoring this vital legislation as they may still need a nudge to sign
on that dotted line.
Here's the toll-free number to dial at the U.S. Capitol: 800-862-5530. Just
call and ask to be connected to your Senator's office. If you get a chronic
busy signal you can see a directory of direct lines to Senate offices here
[4] (PDF).
You'll feel good for having done it.
_______
--
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson
By Bob Geiger
Created Jul 15 2007 - 9:45am
It's been almost three weeks since I last wrote [1] about the status of
cosponsorship on the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007, a bill by
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) that would ".restore habeas corpus for those
detained by the United States." At that point, the legislation had 23
cosponsors -- 22 Democrats and Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont -- and
I thought I would check back in today and see who has stepped up to show
leadership on this issue since then.
With the addition over the last couple of weeks of Senators Byrd, Carper,
Klobuchar, McCaskill, Menendez and Nelson (Bill), there are 28 Democratic
Senators, along with Sanders, cosponsoring Specter's S. 185 [2], which could
very well come up for a vote next week as an amendment to the Defense
Department authorization bill.
Here's the cosponsor list:
a.. Joe Biden (D-DE)
b.. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
c.. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
d.. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
e.. Robert Byrd (D-WV)
f.. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
g.. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
h.. Thomas Carper (D-DE)
i.. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
j.. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
k.. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
l.. Russ Feingold (D-WI)
m.. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
n.. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
o.. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
p.. John Kerry (D-MA)
q.. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
r.. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
s.. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
t.. Carl Levin (D-MI)
u.. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
v.. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
w.. Bill Nelson (D-FL)
x.. Barack Obama (D-IL)
y.. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
z.. Ken Salazar (D-CO)
aa.. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
ab.. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
ac.. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
So I again raise the question: Where are the other Democrats?
We expect almost none of Specter's Republican colleagues to support his
leadership on something so basic to our country's creed. The GOP long ago
divorced itself of any commitment to our Constitution, so our standards for
them have been lowered accordingly. But we expect more of Democrats and
should ask why the others are not stepping up and cosponsoring this
legislation along with 29 of their colleagues (including Sanders) in the
Democratic caucus.
Can they support it when the roll call vote comes, but just not go all the
way and sign their names as cosponsoring the bill? Yes. But that's not
showing true leadership and, when it comes to one of the most basic American
rights trashed by Team Bush, you've got to stand and be counted -- in other
words, it's not enough to just show up for the vote.
The following Democratic Senators have still not signed up to cosponsor the
Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007:
a.. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
b.. Max Baucus (D-MT)
c.. Evan Bayh (D-IN)
d.. Robert Casey (D-PA)
e.. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
f.. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
g.. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
h.. Tim Johnson (D-SD)
i.. Herb Kohl (D-WI)
j.. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
k.. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
l.. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
m.. Patty Murray (D-WA)
n.. Ben Nelson (D-NE)
o.. Mark Pryor (D-AR)
p.. Jack Reed (D-RI)
q.. Charles Schumer (D-NY)
r.. Jon Tester (D-MT)
s.. James Webb (D-VA)
t.. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
In fairness, Senators Mikulski and Wyden have both signed on as cosponsors
to Senator Chris Dodd's Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007 [3], which
restores habeas corpus and takes it a step further by essentially gutting
the entire Military Commissions Act. While their hearts are obviously in the
right place, there's no reason they can't cosponsor both bills and, to the
best of my knowledge, Dodd's bill will not be coming to a vote before the
August Senate recess.
In addition, Tim Johnson is still recovering from a brain hemorrhage and I'm
unclear as to whether he can cosponsor legislation from afar.
"Habeas corpus was recklessly undermined in last year's legislation. I hope
that the new Senate will reconsider this historic error in judgment and set
the matter right," said Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in the June 7 Judiciary
Committee hearings that forwarded S. 185 to the full Senate. "Like the
internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the elimination of
habeas rights was an action driven by fear and another stain on America's
reputation in the world."
So get on the phone Monday and call the Senators still not committed to
cosponsoring this vital legislation as they may still need a nudge to sign
on that dotted line.
Here's the toll-free number to dial at the U.S. Capitol: 800-862-5530. Just
call and ask to be connected to your Senator's office. If you get a chronic
busy signal you can see a directory of direct lines to Senate offices here
[4] (PDF).
You'll feel good for having done it.
_______
--
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson
