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Senate refuses to expand detainee rights
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Issue
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| Contributor | RP |
| Last Edited | RP Sep 19, 2007 11:58am |
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| Category | Proposed Legislation |
| Media | Newspaper - USA Today |
| News Date | Wednesday, September 19, 2007 05:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | The Senate narrowly rejected legislation on Wednesday that would have given military detainees the right to protest their detention in federal court.
The 56-43 vote against the bill, introduced by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., fell four votes shy of the 60 needed to cut off debate. It was a blow for human rights groups that say a current ban on habeas corpus petitions could lead to the indefinite detention of individuals wrongfully suspected of terrorism.
President Bush and conservative Republicans counter that the ban, enacted last year, was necessary to stem the tide of legal protests flooding civilian courts.
Among the 56 senators voting in favor of expanding detainees' rights were six Republicans: Specter, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Richard Lugar of Indiana, John Sununu of New Hampshire and George Smith of Oregon.
Leahy said he would try again to repeal it, although he was not sure when he would get another chance.
In 2006, Congress passed and Bush signed into law the Military Commissions Act, which established a military-run tribunal system for prosecuting enemy combatants. The provision barring habeas corpus petitions means that only detainees selected for trial are able to confront charges against them, leaving most military detainees in custody without a chance to plead their case. |
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