[Peace-discuss] Anti-war legislation in Congress

[C. G. Estabrook]

[Here's a note from <antiwar.com>, about anti-war legislation in 
Congress.  It contrasts with the pro-war positions of the Democratic 
liberals.  I'd be happy to see Clinton, Obama, Edwards et al. support 
it, but I don't expect that: their positions are substantially to the 
right of Paul's. --CGE]


This week Ron Paul introduced the ‘American Freedom Agenda Act of 2007′ 
to roll back the power of the federal government by restoring support 
for the US Constitution.

The bill would, among other things, repeal the Military Commissions Act 
of 2006, prohibits “extraordinary rendition,” and the use of secret 
evidence.

Ron Paul spoke on the floor of the House when he introduced the bill.

The driving force behind the legislation are two groups: the 
conservative American Freedom Agenda and the liberal American Freedom 
Campaign. Naomi Wolf wrote about the bill.

We urge everyone to contact their representatives to support this bill.

	October 21, 2007
	Support the American Freedom Agenda Act of 2007
	by Rep. Ron Paul

I am introducing a comprehensive piece of legislation to restore the 
American Constitution and to restore the liberties that have been sadly 
eroded over the past several years.

This legislation seeks to restore the checks and balances enshrined in 
the Constitution by our Founding Fathers to prevent abuse of Americans 
by their government. This proposed legislation would repeal the Military 
Commissions Act of 2006 and re-establish the traditional practice that 
military commissions may be used to try war crimes in places of active 
hostility where a rapid trial is necessary to preserve evidence or 
prevent chaos.

The legislation clarifies that no information shall be admitted as 
evidence if it is obtained from the defendant through the use of torture 
or coercion. It codifies the FISA process as the means by which foreign 
intelligence may be obtained and it gives members of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives standing in court to challenge presidential 
signing statements that declares the president’s intent to disregard 
certain aspects of a law passed in the US Congress. It prohibits 
kidnapping and extraordinary rendition of prisoners to foreign countries 
on the president’s unilateral determination that the suspect is an enemy 
combatant. It defends the first amendment by clarifying that journalists 
are not to be prevented from publishing information received from the 
legislative or executive branch unless such publication would cause 
immediate, direct, and irreparable harm to the United States .

Finally, the legislation would prohibit the use of secret evidence to 
designate an individual or organization with a United States presence to 
be a foreign terrorist or foreign terrorist organization.

I invite my colleagues to join my efforts to restore the US Constitution 
by enacting the American Freedom Agenda Act of 2007.

  Find this article at:
http://www.antiwar.com/paul/?articleid=11790