July 28, 2006 - MARKEY URGES PRESIDENT TO STOP JUSTICE DEPT. FROM UNDERMINING LAWS AGAINST TORTURE
Washington, DC -- Today, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Taskforce on Nonproliferation, began circulating a letter to President Bush in response to disturbing press reports that the Justice Department is drafting a bill to amend the War Crimes Act of 1996 to shield U.S. personnel who have violated the Geneva Conventions. Creating exemptions from international laws governing the treatment of prisoners during wartime seriously endangers our troops abroad, as well as Foreign Service officers and other Americans living abroad. Rep. Markey, a senior member of the House, has introduced H.R. 952, a bill to end the abhorrent practice of extraordinary rendition, in which prisoners captured or held by the U.S. are transferred to countries known to practice torture and other forms of cruel treatment.
July 13, 2006 - MARKEY: SPECTER DEAL WITH WHITE HOUSE SHOULD NOT BE END OF STORY ON SECRET NSA SPYING PROGRAM
Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee and sponsor of a resolution critical of the Bush Administration’s widespread use of signing statements to avert enforcement of recently passed legislation, released the following statement in reaction to a deal brokered between the White House and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) on the secret NSA wiretapping program:
July 7, 2006 - MARKEY BLASTS EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION OF ALGERIAN MAN DETAILED BY NEWS REPORTS
Washington, DC -- Today, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) released the following statement on press reports detailing another unacceptable case of extraordinary rendition, the process of the U.S. government kidnapping suspects and flying them around the globe to black sites for interrogation, often in countries known to use torture:
June 20, 2006 - MARKEY AMENDMENT BARRING FUNDS FOR TORTURE PASSES U.S. HOUSE TODAY
WASHINGTON, DC – Today the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) that prevents the use of federal funds to in contravention of the Convention Against Torture, as well as various laws and regulations to implement the Convention’s restrictions on the practice of torture or other cruel or degrading treatment or punishment. These laws include the McCain amendment, which was approved by Congress last year, but which the President in a signing statement seemed to suggest that he might disregard. The House passed the Markey amendment to the defense spending bill, which is being debated this afternoon.
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