The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“H.R. 104” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H477 on Jan. 22, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
H.R. 104
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday this country saw a marvelous event that occurs every 4 years, which is the inauguration of a President of the United States who was elected by the people and who assumes power because of the vote of the people. That is the essence of democracy and what America is foremost at, not revolutions, not juntas, but elections, the rule of law and not terror or violence.
Just as we celebrated that great event with more people than ever here in Washington to witness it, it is important that we reiterate to the American public that we are a Nation of laws and not a Nation of men. It is for that reason that I joined with the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, as a cosponsor of H.R. 104, which seeks to set up an independent commission to investigate the Bush administration policies for having a claim of unreviewable war powers, for actions they took or might have taken that did damage to the United States Constitution and to the laws of this Nation. No person is above the law, no person should be considered above the law, and a commission of this sort is important to fulfill the duties of the Congress, which is an independent and separate branch of government, and to see if laws were violated.
There are many Americans that feel that there were violations of the law by the administration in the process of leading us to the war in Iraq and information that was given or not given to this Congress, that the PATRIOT Act and uses of that PATRIOT Act in investigating Americans and listening to phone conversations or interrupting other messages without securing subpoenas or going through the proper due process also violated the law.
In the Judiciary Committee we looked at several of these violations. We tried to subpoena individuals such as Harriett Myers and Karl Rove, and they rejected compliance with subpoenas. This is another area where we need to go forward, and we need to see that when a congressional committee issues subpoenas, that they are responded to by the executive and not under some blanket executive power. Harriett Myers, a private citizen, refused to comply. Karl Rove also refused to comply.
Torture, as used and defined in international law, was used by this administration. Attorney General Designate Eric Holder stated that water boarding is torture; and the former Vice President Dick Cheney said that they used water boarding and seemed somewhat boastful of it.
Again, if we use these type of tactics of torture of people detained without due process in particular, but with due process or not, we subject our own soldiers to such treatment, and that is a danger and a violation of the international laws that we should not allow.
It is important that we look into the activities of the Justice Department that were politicized during the days of Alberto Gonzales and others. Monica Goodling told us in the Judiciary Committee, after being given a grant of immunity, that partisan associations of candidates played a role in the hiring of career officials in Justice. And the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility issued a joint report, concluding the Bush Department of Justice officials violated departmental rules and Federal law in considering political affiliations for the hiring of career attorneys.
There are many areas for investigations. I hope that the Congress will pass H.R. 104, and allow us to look into these and guarantee the American public that we are a Nation of laws and not a Nation of men, and, regardless of the position you hold, you are held to standards.
Just behind me there are words carved into the desk of the Clerk, and they include ``justice.'' There is liberty, there is justice, there is tolerance, and other virtues. Justice is the highest.
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