RAC Joins the Hunt for Habeas on Capitol Hill
After weeks of preparation, the National Day of Action to Restore Law and Justice went off without a hitch! Despite the sweltering heat, my co-workers and I manned the RAC table and participated in an exciting rally, where a series of speakers ranging from Sen. Patrick Leahy to local Rabbi Gerry Serotta energized the crowd with inspiring words about the need to restore Constitutional rights in regard to our treatment of military prisoners.
To view the webcast of the entire event or to hear individual speeches, click here.
Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, blogged about the significance of this Day of Action on the Huffington Post:
Today we are seizing momentum as never before and saying "enough." We act because, as citizens, we not only have the right to hold our government accountable, we have the responsibility to uphold our American values.
To read the rest of Romero’s blog, click here.
Following the rally, I spent the afternoon attending lobby visits with representatives from the Jewish community on behalf of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture. In our visits to these Senate offices, our message was clear; Congress must take action to fix some of the most detrimental provisions of the Military Commissions Act (MCA). Several bills have already been introduced that address these issues. To learn more about the Restoring the Constitution Act, the most comprehensive piece of legislation that would repeal many of the MCA’s most harmful provisions, visit the ACLU’s MCA resource page.
On that same day, the House Judiciary subcommittee held a hearing on issues relating to the due process rights of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Click here to read the Associated Press’ report.