Wednesday, September 27, 2006

5:00 Levin Amendment Not Agreed To The Levin amendment was not agreed to by a vote of 43-54. 5:07:39 PM

4:35 Roll Call Vote In Progress A roll call vote is currently in progress on the substitute amendment offered by Senator Levin. This amendment would substitute language approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee for the current language in S.3930, the Military Commissions bill. 4:39:00 PM

3:30 Remarks Of Senator Leahy Senator Leahy was on the floor voicing his opposition to Section 7 of the Military Commissions bill which pertains to the writ of habeas corpus. He argued that this section wrongfully eliminates the writ of habeas corpus for anyone detained on suspicion of being what the Bush Administration has called enemy combatants. Senator Leahy also voiced his concerns about a provision which he argued would curtail judicial review and any meaningful accountability. He suggested that if the government feels that a detainee is guilty of a crime they should be tried, they should not simply be kept in custody without charges being brought against them.  He argued that the bill is being rushed through the Senate for political purposes before people have the chance to read the fine print, which he said is worse than the already troubling language of the Armed Services Committee bill. To read a copy of Senator Leahy's prepared remarks go to: http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200609/092706.html 4:31:05 PM

3:00 Senator Levins Offers A Substitute Amendment Senator Levin was on the floor and offered an amendment which would have substituted language previously approved by the Armed Services Committee for the current bill, S.3930. He argued that the version of this legislation passed by the Armed Services Committee met two critical tests: first, that we would be satisfied by the terms should American troops be subject to the same procedures, and two, that the legislation would stand up to judicial review. He argued that Senator Frist threatened to filibuster the Armed Services Committee bill despite its bipartisan support amongst Committee members. He argued that the bill being debated today had changed in many ways, and he offered the Armed Services Committee bill as a substitute, saying that it avoided many of the pitfalls of the current bill. 3:35:42 PM

1:15 Morning Business Ends The period of morning business has ended and the Senate is now considering S.3939, the Military Commissions bill. After consideration of this bill has been completed, the Senate will hole a cloture vote on H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence bill. 1:21:37 PM

12:30 Senator Lott Responds to Senator Durbin Senator Lott was on the floor responding to the comments made by Senator Durbin. He said that he felt the Supreme Court made a mistake in its decision regarding the treatment and trials of suspected terrorists. Although he was disappointed with the decision, he said he feels now that the Administration and Congress are working hard towards setting specific rules for the treatment of detainees and he suggested that the issue should be discussed and settled without further delay. Although he said the final version of the bill was not perfect in his mind, he said that it is good enough and should be debated and voted on. 12:53:37 PM

11:45 Senator Durbin Speaks About Military Commissions Senator Durbin was on the floor speaking about the Military Commissions Act of 2006. While he praised President Bush for taking on the issue of authorizing military trials of suspected terrorists, he questioned the pressure being put on the Senate to pass a bill right before the upcoming elections. He argued that Congress has stood by ready to create military tribunals for a long time, citing the fact that in 2002 Senator Specter approached him about cosponsoring a bipartisan bill to authorize military commissions. Senator Durbin said that’s what makes us better than the terrorists is that there are some lines we won't cross, even in times of war, and that we can fight terrorism effectively while at the same time staying true to our Constitution. He said he hoped that through the amendment process the Senate would produce a bipartisan bill that would make America safe without sacrificing American values. 12:36:05 PM

11:30 Senator Hutchison Speaks About NIE Report Senator Hutchison was on the floor discussing President Bush's decision to declassify and release sections of the National Intelligence Estimate. She praised President Bush for his quick action and read from several passages from the report itself. She argued that the United States needs to honor its commitment to fighting terrorism and that we should not waver in that pursuit. Senator Hutchison suggested that the strategy in Iraq is working and, by promoting a more democratic and pluralistic society, we are in fact making it harder for terrorists to recruit new members. 11:32:19 AM

9:45 Senator Jeffords Delivers His Final Floor Speech The Senate reconvened this morning and is currently in a period of morning business. This morning Senator Jeffords delivered his last floor speech before his retirement at the end of the 109th Congress. He was immediately followed by Senator Leahy, who praised his colleague for not only his years of service in Congress, but also as his time serving as a public official in Vermont. Numerous Senators have come to the floor to praise Senator Jeffords and bid him farewell, including Senators Dodd and Harkin who were members of the same freshman class of 1974 in the House of Representatives with Senator Jeffords. 10:39:25 AM