The House today passed a bill that would extend by 15 days a law that expanded the Bush administration’s powers to conduct anti-terrorism surveillance without warrants. The law is set to expire Friday. The original measure called for a 30-day extension.
Here are debate excerpts from Democrats John Conyers of Michigan and Jane Harman of California. Conyers said the temporary extension would give Congress more time to reach agreement on “responsible” reform to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that governs such wiretaps.
Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., also addressed the wiretapping debate in a press conference.
Categories: California, Michigan, Missouri, Producer's Picks, Security, Technology, Civil Liberties, Terrorism, John Conyers, Communications, Roy Blunt, Intelligence, Jane Harman
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House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., is defending his decision not to impeach President Bush now one year into Democratic rule of Congress but said in an impromptu interview with a supporter of the idea that impeachment is “not off the table.”
Categories: Michigan, White House, Law & Judiciary, John Conyers
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The House today passed a bill that would prohibit and punish deceptive practices that aim to keep voters away from the polls.
John Conyers, D-Mich.: Protecting the right to vote “is the cornerstone right of our democracy. … Protecting this right, however, has not been an easy task.”
Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill.: “In its finest sense, [the bill] speaks to the voice of democracy. … [N]othing is more American than voting, and nothing could be more un-American than deceiving one from taking the right to vote.”
Categories: Illinois, Michigan, Producer's Picks, John Conyers, Rahm Emanuel, Voting Rights
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President Bush is a “fanatic” because he is planning to send more U.S. troops to Iraq, a New York congressman said yesterday during the Iraq war protest in Washington.
Democrat Jerrold Nadler made the comment to PoliticsTV, which aired critical comments about the Bush administration from a trio of House Democrats, including Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan and Maxine Waters of California.
“One of the definitions of the fanatic,” Nadler said, “is someone who redoubles his efforts when he has forgotten his purpose. That fits the president.”
Conyers said Congress must go beyond the kind of nonbinding resolution against the war recently approved by a Senate panel. “The president does not understand symbolism,” he said, “so symbolic resolutions need to be replaced with decisions that cut off the funds.”
And Waters said U.S. troops need to be redeployed, with the goal of supporting Iraq while America backs its military out of Iraq.
In a more detailed PoliticsTV interview with Conyers, he chastised Bush for the hundreds of “signing statements” he has issued along with the bills from Congress he signed in order to make “exceptions” to the new laws. Conyers also decried Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for not being forthright about administration policies and said Gonzales can expect a tougher time now that Democrats are in control of Congress.
Categories: New York, California, Michigan, Iraq, Jerrold Nadler, John Conyers, Maxine Waters
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