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FOXX APPLAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF TWO CRITICAL BILLS FOR FIGHTING THE WAR ON TERROR
Washington, DC,
September 28, 2006
Today, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) praised the passage of H.R. 6155, The Military Commissions Act of 2006 and H.R. 5825, The Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act, both of which are critical bills in fighting the global war on ter
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Today, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) praised the passage of H.R. 6155, The Military Commissions Act of 2006 and H.R. 5825, The Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act, both of which are critical bills in fighting the global war on terror. Upon passage of the bills, Congresswoman Foxx released the following statement: “I am pleased to see that the House has taken the critical step in giving the President and our intelligence community the vital tools they need to triumph in the war on terror. Since 9/11 our nation has apprehended hundreds of terrorists and we needed to establish a system to prosecute them. That is exactly what the Military Commissions Act does,” commented Foxx. H.R. 6155 establishes military tribunals which will provide the basic rights of legal counsel, the right to obtain evidence and witnesses and the right to appeal a guilty verdict. At the same time it still protects classified information from disclosure to the terrorists on trial. In addition this act codifies Article 3 of the Geneva Convention to clarify vague provisions regarding interrogation of enemy combatants; ensuring American personnel are not subject to prosecution without just cause. Foxx added, “It was crucial to update our foreign intelligence surveillance laws to fit the needs of the 21st Century.” H.R. 5825 will make it easier to monitor terrorist communications and prevent future attacks, while at the same time protecting Americans’ civil liberties. By modernizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Congress is assuring that every tool and option is available to gather intelligence from terrorists, as well as streamlining and speeding up the process of obtaining a FISA warrant. “The action taken by Congress this week will provide our intelligence community the authority needed to safeguard our troops and our homeland,” Foxx concluded. ### |