Mr. Speaker, this morning's New York Times reveals that a new classified assessment by the Central Intelligence Agency says Iraq may prove to be an even more effective training ground for Islamic extremists than Afghanistan was in al Qaeda's early days because it is serving as a real-world laboratory for urban combat and that Iraq, since the American invasion of 2003, had assumed… Read more »

Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this restrictive rule for not making in order the Waxman amendment to provide for an investigation by a bipartisan, independent commission of the detainee abuses alleged at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and other sites. Let me say at the outset that the men and women in our armed services ought to be praised for their selfless sacrifices. They deserve not… Read more »

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns) indicated this does not implicate free speech. I would simply point out that we see movies all the time. In those movies we see actors dressed up as Nazis, as German soldiers in German World War II trampling and burning the flag. Do we go out and arrest those actors? Of course not, because we know the actors do not mean it; they are… Read more »

Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) today introduced H.R. 3006, the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), landmark legislation that would allow same-sex couples to sponsor their “permanent partners” for legal residency in the United States.  This right is currently afforded to opposite-sex couples under U.S. immigration law. Because the U.S. does not legally recognize… Read more »

At a Democratic hearing on the Downing Street Memo held yesterday by House Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers and other Democratic members, one of the witnesses made false and offensive allegations about Israel’s role in the U.S. decision to go to war in Iraq. Congressman Nadler was not present during the disturbing testimony of former CIA agent Ray McGovern, but hearing of… Read more »

Mr. Chairman, although I believe in the values and principles expressed in the United Nations Charter, the organization has been hijacked by some member states who have betrayed those values. The use of blood libels by representatives of member states in official U.N. reports and by NGOs is unacceptable. It is time to do more to press the U.N. to reform. It is not enough to criticize… Read more »

Mr. Speaker, we are not here discussing the substance or the merits of the PATRIOT Act or the manner in which it was adopted 4 years ago or the sufficiency of the oversight of the PATRIOT Act by the Committee on the Judiciary. We will have plenty of time to discuss that on the floor in coming weeks. We are discussing the abuse of power and flouting of the rules by the chairman of the… Read more »

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 324) as to a question of the privileges of the House and ask for its immediate consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution. The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 324 Resolution disapproving the manner in which Representative Sensenbrenner has responded to the… Read more »

Congressman Jerrold Nadler will raise a question of the privileges of the House this evening regarding recent behavior by Judiciary Chairman Sensenbrenner and Republican abuses of power.  Below are his remarks, as prepared for delivery.  Following that text is a letter from Democratic Leader Pelosi to Speaker Hastert, directing the Speaker to ask Chairman Sensenbrenner to… Read more »

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment. The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. NADLER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the issue in this amendment has nothing to do with the Ten Commandments. It has nothing to do with whether the Ten Commandments,… Read more »