Washington, D.C. Representative Jane Harman (CA-36), Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and Terrorism Risk Assessment, issued the following statement in response to today’s Supreme Court ruling in Boumediene v. Bush:
“The Bush Administration has never wanted to create a careful legal framework for the post-9/11 world and is now paying a big price.”
“First came the Hamdi and Hamdan rulings and, now, the whole patch-work system of tribunals is in doubt. I applaud the ruling and hope Congress pushes harder to review, improve and enforce the law and Constitution.”
Harman has visited Guantanamo Bay three times and has introduced a number of bills to reign in the actions of what she has referred to as a “lawless” Administration. The LISTEN Act (HR 5371) to modernize and provide resources for FISA in the 109th Congress; bills in the 110th Congress to restore Habeas Corpus (HR 1415 and HR 1416); close Guantanamo Bay (HR 2212); and limit the use of National Security Letters (HR 1739). Harman also urged the CIA in writing in February 2003 not to destroy videos of interrogations of High-Value Detainees.
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