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Dead Constitution See other Dead Constitution Articles Title: Congress Defies Bush Veto Threat, Votes To Outlaw CIA Waterboarding WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic-led Congress defied a White House veto threat on Wednesday and voted to ban the CIA from using waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques. On a largely party-line vote of 51-45, the Senate passed a broad intelligence measure earlier approved by the House of Representatives and sent it to President George W. Bush to sign into law. But White House spokesman Tony Fratto said, "For a number of reasons, the president's advisers would recommend a veto of this bill. Parts of this bill are inconsistent with the effective conduct of intelligence gathering." Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the leading Republican presidential candidate and an author of previous anti-torture legislation, voted against the overall bill. The action follows CIA Director Michael Hayden's disclosure to Congress last week that government interrogators had used waterboarding on three suspects captured after the September 11 attacks. The simulated drowning technique has been widely condemned by human rights groups and other countries as a form of illegal torture. The anti-waterboarding provision was part of an annual intelligence authorization bill hammered together by House and Senate negotiators. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat and a chief sponsor of the provision, said, "For the first time, the Senate and the House have essentially said there will be a uniform standard for the interrogation of detainees all across the government." The provision would require the Central Intelligence Agency to comply with the U.S. Army Field Manual's rules on questioning detainees, which forbids eight interrogation methods, including waterboarding. Senate Republicans had been expected to use a procedural roadblock to eliminate the provision but backed off, figuring Bush would veto it anyway, aides said. McCain said earlier in the day, "I made it very clear that I think that waterboarding is torture and illegal, but I will not restrict the CIA to only the Army field manual." The CIA said it does not comment on pending legislation. Hayden told Congress last week that waterboarding may no longer be legal, but the White House has refused to rule out using it again. Hayden said in his testimony that the agency would respect interrogation limits passed by Congress and could make no exceptions regardless of the gravity of any future emergency. "My view is that would substantially increase the danger to America," he said.
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
I can't imagine they'd have the cajones to pass this.
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