February 11, 2009 5:56 PM
- Text
Senate Passes Terror Detainee Bill
(CBS/AP)
The Senate passed legislation that endorsed President George W. Bush's plan to prosecute and interrogate terrorism suspects, all but sealing approval for a bill Republicans plan to use to spotlight their tough stance against terrorists weeks ahead of congressional elections.
The 65-34 vote means the bill could reach the president's desk by week's end to be signed into law.
The House of Representatives passed almost identical legislation on Wednesday by 253-168 and was expected to endorse the Senate bill on Friday, then ship it to the White House.
There are some "technical corrections" to be dealt with, however, and the bill may have to go back to the House for another vote before it goes down to the White House, reports CBS News correspondent John Nolen.
"The Senate sent a strong signal to the terrorists that we will continue using every element of national power to pursue our enemies and to prevent attacks on America," Bush said in a statement Thursday night.
The White House was less successful in gaining congressional approval of the president's warrantless wiretapping program. Although the House approved by a 232-191 vote a bill that would grant legal status to the program with new restrictions, the measure differed so much from the Senate version that a reconciliation effort appeared unlikely before the November elections.
The detainee bill would create military commissions to prosecute terrorism suspects. It also would prohibit blatant abuses of detainees but grant the president flexibility to decide what interrogation techniques are permissible.
The White House and its supporters have called the measure crucial in the anti-terror fight, but some Democrats said it left the door open to abuse, violating the U.S. Constitution in the name of protecting Americans.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who helped draft the legislation during negotiations with the White House, said the measure set up a system for treating detainees that the nation can be proud of. He said the goal "is to render justice to the terrorists, even though they will not render justice to us."
Democrats said the Republicans' rush to muscle the measure through Congress was aimed at giving them something to boast about during the campaign, in which control of the House and Senate are at stake. Election Day is Nov. 7.
"There is no question that the rush to pass this bill, which is the product of secret negotiations with the White House, is about serving a political agenda," said Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy.
Senate approval was the latest step in the remarkable journey that Bush has taken in shaping how the United States treats terrorism suspects it has been holding, some for almost five years without charges.
In June the Supreme Court nullified Bush's initial system for trying detainees, and this month a handful of maverick senators from Bush's Republicans embarrassed the president by forcing him to slightly tone down his next proposal. They struck a deal last week, and the president and congressional Republicans are now claiming the episode as a victory.
While Democrats warned the bill could open the way for abuse, Republicans said rejection of the bill would put the country at risk of another terror attack such as the ones on Sept. 11, 2001.
"We are not conducting a law enforcement operation against a check-writing scam or trying to foil a bank heist," said Republican Senator Mitch McConnell. "We are at war against extremists who want to kill our citizens."
The 65-34 vote means the bill could reach the president's desk by week's end to be signed into law.
The House of Representatives passed almost identical legislation on Wednesday by 253-168 and was expected to endorse the Senate bill on Friday, then ship it to the White House.
There are some "technical corrections" to be dealt with, however, and the bill may have to go back to the House for another vote before it goes down to the White House, reports CBS News correspondent John Nolen.
"The Senate sent a strong signal to the terrorists that we will continue using every element of national power to pursue our enemies and to prevent attacks on America," Bush said in a statement Thursday night.
The White House was less successful in gaining congressional approval of the president's warrantless wiretapping program. Although the House approved by a 232-191 vote a bill that would grant legal status to the program with new restrictions, the measure differed so much from the Senate version that a reconciliation effort appeared unlikely before the November elections.
The detainee bill would create military commissions to prosecute terrorism suspects. It also would prohibit blatant abuses of detainees but grant the president flexibility to decide what interrogation techniques are permissible.
The White House and its supporters have called the measure crucial in the anti-terror fight, but some Democrats said it left the door open to abuse, violating the U.S. Constitution in the name of protecting Americans.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who helped draft the legislation during negotiations with the White House, said the measure set up a system for treating detainees that the nation can be proud of. He said the goal "is to render justice to the terrorists, even though they will not render justice to us."
Democrats said the Republicans' rush to muscle the measure through Congress was aimed at giving them something to boast about during the campaign, in which control of the House and Senate are at stake. Election Day is Nov. 7.
"There is no question that the rush to pass this bill, which is the product of secret negotiations with the White House, is about serving a political agenda," said Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy.
Senate approval was the latest step in the remarkable journey that Bush has taken in shaping how the United States treats terrorism suspects it has been holding, some for almost five years without charges.
In June the Supreme Court nullified Bush's initial system for trying detainees, and this month a handful of maverick senators from Bush's Republicans embarrassed the president by forcing him to slightly tone down his next proposal. They struck a deal last week, and the president and congressional Republicans are now claiming the episode as a victory.
While Democrats warned the bill could open the way for abuse, Republicans said rejection of the bill would put the country at risk of another terror attack such as the ones on Sept. 11, 2001.
"We are not conducting a law enforcement operation against a check-writing scam or trying to foil a bank heist," said Republican Senator Mitch McConnell. "We are at war against extremists who want to kill our citizens."
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