Military Commissions Act Of 2006
MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT OF 2006 -- (House of Representatives - September 27, 2006)
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Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, I understand the critical need to have the best possible intelligence both to prevent terrorist attacks against our Nation and to protect our troops in the battlefield. But those who have tied passage of military commissions legislation to the collection of actionable intelligence are simply misleading the American people.
I am deeply disappointed that military commissions legislation crafted by the White House and the Republican congressional leadership does not create a system that will pass constitutional muster. Like my colleagues, I demand that our Nation prosecute those who commit terrorist acts against us, but if Congress and the White House create a system of military tribunals that will be struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional, we will further delay justice for the victims of terrorism and for their families.
The Bush administration has determined that we can legally hold all enemy combatants until the end of hostilities in the global war on terrorism, and as the National Intelligence Estimate released yesterday indicated, we won't be able to declare victory in the fight against terror and extremism anytime in the foreseeable future. So I ask, why are we in such a hurry to pass legislation that may do more harm than good? Why are we putting politics above victims of terrorist acts? Why are we endangering our troops?
Protecting our Nation also includes protecting the men and women who are serving in uniform in battlefields around the world. I believe, along with other military and legal experts, that the Republican military commissions bill will be interpreted by the international community as redefining our obligations under the Geneva Conventions. Our Nation must act from a position of strength, and we must think first of protecting our citizens before weighing how the world will view our actions. However, it is very unrealistic to simply ignore the impact that the changes included in H.R. 6166 could have on members of our military.
For that reason, Mr. Speaker, in wrapping up, I cannot support H.R. 6166 as it is written. We can do much better for our troops, the victims of terrorism, and the American people.
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