Read other letters about this article

• Thursday, June 18, 2009 11:20 AM

  rrheard, rjcrane, pow wow

  I can't believe it. Well, yes I can. Thanks for finding it.

  rrheard: The House still needs to vote on S.1285. Lieberman & Graham had introduced the amendment to the Travel Promotion Act on Tuesday. (S.1023: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s.01023: and S.AMDT.1315 http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2009_record&page=S6663&position=all).

  There was a cloture vote on that bill the same day and the photo amendment didn't make it. It turns out that it didn't need to, because the deal for the stand-alone had been worked out. Here's yesterday's spittle from Lindsay Graham, Joe Lieberman, & Barack Obama:

  GRAHAM: I have been promised two things that were important to me to remove my holds and to let the supplemental go without objection. No. 1, there would be a freestanding vote on the Lieberman-Graham amendment, the legislative solution to this lawsuit. The Senate has previously allowed this legislation to become a part of the supplemental war funding bill. It would prevent the disclosure of these photos for a 3-year period. If the Secretary of Defense said they were harmful to our national security interests, it could be renewed for 3 years. Senator Reid has indicated to me that before July 8 we will have a chance to vote on that provision as a freestanding bill, which I think will get the Senate back on record in a timely fashion before the next court hearing.

  Secondly, I wanted to be assured by the administration that if the Congress fails to do its part to protect these photos from being released, the President would sign an Executive order which would change their classification to be classified national security documents that would be outcome determinative of the lawsuit. Rahm Emanuel has indicated to me that the President is committed to not ever letting these photos see the light of day, but they agree with me that the best way to do it is for Congress to act.

  So in light of that, I am going to remove my hold on the bills I have a hold on, and I will support the supplemental. Because I think it is very important for our soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines--anybody deployed--civilian contractors and their families to know there is a game plan. We are going to support General Petraeus and General Odierno and all our combat commanders to make sure these photos never see the light of day. I think we have a game plan that will work. It starts with a vote in the Senate. I am urging the House to take this up as a freestanding bill. There were 267 House Members who voted to keep our language included in the supplemental. It was taken out. I am very disappointed that it was taken out, but we now have a chance to start over and get this right sooner rather than later.

  With that understanding, that we are going to get a freestanding vote on the Lieberman-Graham amendment and that the administration will do whatever is required to make sure these photos never see the light of day if Congress fails to act, I am going to lift my hold on all the legislation and support the supplemental. I look forward to taking this matter up as soon as possible.

  [Page: S6691] GPO's PDF: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2009_record&page=S6691&position=all

  —EJ Read EJ's other letters
  Permalink
  Flag
  Click "Submit Flag" if you feel this post is inappropriate. Explain why below if you wish.

  Cancel