Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, praised President Obama for his decision to support further Congressional inquiries into the use of torture and to leave open the door for prosecutions of the Bush administration’s architects of torture. Since 2008, Rep. Nadler has called for a special prosecutor to investigate and, if appropriate, prosecute those in the Bush administration who illegally authorized torture of detainees.

Nadler issued the following statement:

“I am extremely pleased that President Obama has shown support for further inquiry into the use of torture, and that he has kept the proverbial door open to the possibility of prosecutions, where warranted, of those responsible for the torture policy under the Bush administration. I also commend the President for leaving the ultimate decision to his independent Attorney General. These are essential steps toward regaining our nation’s title as a just place governed by the rule of law. If we do not follow through on investigating those who authorized and committed torture – and thereby broke American law – then we will have no standing on which to protest the future torture of American soldiers at the hands of our enemies. I am continuing my conversations with Attorney General Holder on this critical issue, and intend to hold Congressional oversight hearings.”