This page contains bill sponsorships in the Senate and House.
Bill sponsorships indicate the topics that legislators are most interested in, and spend the most time on.
Bill Sponsorship: restoring habeas corpus for detainees in the War on Terror
Source: Habeas Corpus Restoration Act (S.185/H.R.2826)
A bill to restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Sen. SPECTER. "I introduce this legislation, denominated the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act. Last year, in the Military Commissions Act, the constitutional right of habeas corpus was attempted to be abrogated. I say "attempted to be abrogated" because, in my legal judgment, that provision in the Act is unconstitutional. "It is hard to see how there can be legislation to eliminate the constitutional right to habeas corpus when the Constitution is explicit that habeas corpus may not be suspended except in time of invasion or rebellion, and we do not have either of those circumstances present, as was conceded by the advocates of the legislation last year to take away the right of habeas corpus. "We have had
Supreme Court decisions which have made it plain that habeas corpus is available to non-citizens and that habeas corpus applies to territory controlled by the US, specifically, including Guantanamo. More recently, however, we had a decision in the US District Court applying the habeas corpus jurisdiction stripping provision of the Military Commissions Act, but I believe we will see the appellate courts strike down this legislative provision. "The New York Times had an extensive article on this subject, starting on the front page, last Sunday, and continuing on a full page on the back page about what is happening at Guantanamo. It is hard to see how in America, or in a jurisdiction controlled by the United States, these proceedings could substitute for even rudimentary due process of law."
Participating counts on VoteMatch question 14.
Question 14: Maintain US sovereignty from UN
Scores: -2=Strongly oppose; -1=Oppose; 0=neutral; 1=Support; 2=Strongly support.
- Topic: Homeland Security
- Headline: Restore habeas corpus for detainees in the War on Terror
(Score: -1)
- Key for participation codes:
- Sponsorships: p=sponsored; o=co-sponsored; s=signed
- Memberships: c=chair; m=member; e=endorsed; f=profiled; s=scored
- Resolutions: i=introduced; w=wrote; a=adopted
- Cases: w=wrote; j=joined; d=dissented; c=concurred
- Surveys: '+' supports; '-' opposes.
Independents
participating in 2007-S185 |
| Joe Biden |
s1o | DE Vice President | |
| Bernie Sanders |
s1o | Vermont Independent | |
| Joe Sestak |
s1o | PA 2010 Democratic Senate Challenger; currently US Rep. | |
Total recorded by OnTheIssues:
Democrats:
79
Republicans:
2
Independents:
3 |
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