May 2005 Archives

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Rep. Miller seeks vote to compel Bush Administration to turn over documents on Afgan Detainees' deaths

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A senior U.S. congressman is asking the House of Representatives to require the Pentagon to hand over information about its knowledge of torture policies that led to the deaths of at least two Afghan detainees at the Bagram Collection Point in Afghanistan in 2002.

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee, said that Pentagon and media reports have again raised serious questions about why no senior Administration or Pentagon officials have taken responsibility or been held accountable for the policies and actions that resulted in the deaths, which coroners ruled a homicide.

“Afghani men, one of whom was even thought to be innocent, died from physical abuse by U.S. forces, yet no one in the Bush Administration or at the Pentagon has come forward to take responsibility for the policies that caused their deaths,” said Miller. “What has happened at Guantanamo Bay, at Bagram, and at Abu Ghraib cannot simply be blamed on a few low-ranking guards. It was the result of a systematic policy of abuse. The Bush Administration, which publicly demands accountability from everyone else, never holds itself accountable when things go terribly wrong on its watch.”

In particular, Miller is concerned about reports that a military intelligence official at Bagram, Lt. Carolyn A. Wood, was never asked by investigators about why she approved the use of torture techniques that led to the two deaths. Rather, Wood was promoted to Captain and transferred to the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, where investigators said she applied techniques “remarkably similar” to those used at Bagram.

“Congress and the American people have a right to know who promoted and transferred Captain Wood even after it was known that she approved unacceptable practices at Bagram,” said Miller.

Miller is sponsoring a “Resolution of Inquiry,” a measure that – if passed by the House – would compel the Pentagon to provide critical information. The resolution must be debated and voted on by the appropriate committee in the House of Representatives, most likely the House Armed Services Committee.

“The killing and abuse of detainees – and the Administration’s failure to deal with it in an honest way – hurts America’s reputation overseas, undermines our efforts to end global terrorism by fueling terrorist groups’ recruitment efforts, and puts American troops at even greater risk,” said Miller.

“It is my hope that the Republican leadership of the House will support this effort to get to the truth about the use of torture by American forces in Afghanistan and elsewhere and that, for the sake of our nation’s credibility, the senior officials that to this day have not taken any responsibility for these actions will in fact be held accountable. American citizens, and America’s men and women in uniform, deserve no less.”

Miller circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter on Wednesday to garner support for his resolution, which he expects to offer in early June, just after the Memorial Day congressional recess.

corruption defense ethics human rights intelligence military nationalsecurity

Posted by Intern, CA07 at 06:06PM | Comments ()

Miller announces funding for energy and water projects in Contra Costa and Solano

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) announced today that the House of Representatives approved a bill late Wednesday that includes more than $4.75 million worth of energy and water projects for Contra Costa and Solano counties that he had requested.

“The bill approved by the House will help improve local water quality, levee repair, and ship navigation,” said Miller.

The bill includes:

$3.32 million for ongoing maintenance dredging of Pinole Shoal Channel, to ensure the safe transport of crude oil to East Bay area refineries;

$250,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to use sediment from the Pinole Shoal Channel to repair levees in the San Joaquin - Sacramento Delta;

$250,000 for the completion of a General Reevaluation Report on the Lower Walnut Creek Channel, which will identify how to combine river restoration goals with flood control objectives; and

$2 million to help improve Delta drinking water quality by constructing a new intake and fish screen in the Central Delta.

The bill, H.R.2419, will next be sent to the Senate for consideration.

Contra Costa districtmatters energyandenvironment natural resources Solano water wildlife

Posted by Intern, CA07 at 05:33PM | Comments ()

Miller calls for ban on all gifts from lobbyists to Members of Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. George Miller (Calif.), the Chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee and an outspoken critic of the unethical behavior now plaguing the House of Representatives, today called for an outright ban on gifts from lobbyists to members of Congress.

“What I’m calling for is simple and totally unambiguous: members of Congress should not be allowed to accept any gifts of any value from any lobbyists at any time,” said Miller. “No gifts, period, should be the rule.”

Miller made his announcement during a press conference today with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), where the lawmakers urged the House to adopt a new set of principles to ensure a higher ethical standard in the House.

“These principles are intended to ensure that Congress serves the public interest, and not the special interests,” said Miller. “It is critical in our democracy that all Americans feel like they can have their voices heard. We want to amplify the people’s voice and reduce the excessive influence of lobbyists.”

Under current rules, members of Congress are allowed to accept gifts of less than $50 in value, but Miller and Pelosi said that loophole should be eliminated. “We have to rebuild the public’s confidence piece by piece,” said Miller. “We need to start now.”

Reps. Martin Meehan (D-MA) and Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) last week announced legislation to clean up the relationship between lobbyists and members of Congress in four ways, by: increasing disclosure of lobbying activities, slowing the ‘revolving door’ between government and lobbying, ending lobbyist-sponsored junkets, and toughening enforcement and oversight.

Miller and Pelosi support the Meehan/Emmanuel bill and today called on House Republican leaders to join them in pushing for real reform of the ethical behavior of lawmakers and lobbyists.

ethics

Posted by Intern, CA07 at 06:18PM | Comments ()