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| Wilson Offers Amendment for Full Disclosure of Abu Ghraib Documents |
June 17, 2004 |
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"A democratic society should have this discussion in the open"
Washington, DC - Congresswoman Heather Wilson, R-NM, and House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Ike Skelton, D-Mo, today are offering a substitute amendment in Committee calling for documents concerning treatment of prisoners to be given to the Congress.
The Skelton/Wilson will be offered to House Resolution 640 under consideration by the House Armed Services Committee this evening. H.R. 640 was introduced prior to the delivery of the Taguba report, which has been provided by the Department of Defense. Since the resolution was crafted, Congress has become aware of other documents which Skelton and Wilson contend should also be provided to the Congress.
"All relevant documents should be available to Congress," Wilson said. "Congress establishes rules governing the Armed forces. This is our responsibility under the Constitution."
"American soldiers are facing tough questions: Just what are we willing to do to extract information from terrorists to save lives?" Wilson said. "A democratic society should have this discussion in the open."
"This is a difficult and important policy question that should not be decided by nameless lawyers in working groups in the bowels of the Pentagon," said Wilson. "This discussion should be held, now and in public, so that the decision isn`t left to a 25-year-old interrogator in a race against time."
Wilson said that the memos from Pentagon lawyers could be important to that public discussion and should be available to Congress. The amendment includes documentation of the training of the 800th Military Police Brigade, all summaries of investigations pending or closed, any complaint forms by a member of the Armed Forces or civilian contractor about prisoner treatment at Abu Ghraib, and any documents given to the Detainee Assessment Branch, which interviewed Iraqi detainees prior to their release.
There are other documents Wilson believes should be provided to the Armed Services Committee that would have been ruled "not germane" to this resolution.
"Oversight is largely based on documents and sworn testimony. We must have access to these papers," Wilson said.
Wilson has been a strong advocate of rigorous oversight by Congress on a variety of issues over her career in the Congress. In addition to the Armed Services Committee, she serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which plays an active oversight role over agencies including the FCC, the FDA, NIH, the Department of Energy and the centers for Medicaid and Medicare services. Wilson believes oversight of the Pentagon by the House has been inadequate on a broad range of issues.
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