Washington, D.C. — Today Ranking Member Ike Skelton and Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee commented on the need for bipartisan legislation in line with the Supreme Court’s decision on military commissions.
Today at 10 a.m. the Committee will hold a hearing to examine this issue.
“Now that the Supreme Court has spoken, we do not want potential terrorists walking free so they can endanger our troops. It is imperative that Congress passes a law dealing with commissions that complies with the recent Supreme Court decision,” Ranking Member Ike Skelton (MO) said.
“[Today’s] hearing is the first step in following the clear course set by the Supreme Court,” added Rep. G.K. Butterfield (NC). “It is now our collective responsibility to undertake a deliberative and bipartisan process to create a law which will both bring convictions of these terrorists and restore American credibility in the international community.”
“This is a clear call for decisive congressional action to provide a legal framework for the prosecution of enemy combatants,” Rep. Loretta Sanchez (CA) continued. “It is the responsibility of Congress to ensure that detainees are tried in a manner fully consistent with the traditions of due process and fundamental fairness that are the proud hallmarks of American justice. The world is watching and it is time for Congress to use a strong hand in shaping the course of war crimes prosecutions.”
Rep. Robert Andrews (NJ) said, “I will support Congressional authorization of military commissions to try suspected terrorists who are apprehended in the Global War on Terrorism provided that these commissions meet standards that will establish them as legitimate tribunals in the international community.”
“We must establish a strong adjudication process to ensure that detainees in the war on terror are dealt with swiftly and efficiently. This is a fundamentally important moment that will determine the manner in which we continue to fight the war on terror. We must have an open legislative process culminating in a free standing bill that can be voted on by the entire Congress,” noted Rep. Ellen Tauscher (CA).
“There must be a system for dealing with detainees that does not compromise the security of the United States and that will withstand judicial scrutiny,” concluded Rep. Jim Cooper (TN). “Congress needs to take its oversight responsibility seriously and develop a process that can stand up to judicial review and deal with some of the most dangerous men in the
world.”