Letter from Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, July 30, 2008 on waterboarding

July 30, 2008

Dear Mr. Foss:

Thank you for contacting my office and expressing your opposition to certain interrogation techniques, including waterboarding.

I share your belief that methods of torture, including waterboarding, hypothermia, and stress positions, are not an acceptable or humane method of obtaining information. I was proud to be an original cosponsor, with Chairman Jerrold Nadler of the Constitution Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, of the American Anti-Torture Act (H.R. 4114). This legislation would have extended the U.S. Army Field Manual prohibition on torture techniques like waterboarding to all U.S. government agencies. This language was included in the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2082) and would have prevented intelligence agencies from engaging in torture. The President objected to this language and subsequently vetoed the Intelligence Authorization Act.

To learn more about current legislation or about my voting record, I invite you to visit the Library of Congress legislative information website (www.thomas.gov). There, you can find the full text of a bill or a summary, who introduced it and when, who is cosponsoring it, and where it is in the legislative process. I also invite you to visit my website (http://shea-porter.house.gov) for more information about bills that I have introduced or cosponsored, and for issue updates, position statements, event announcements, or to sign up for my email newsletter.
Thank you again for contacting my office. It is a privilege to serve you in Washington.

Sincerely,

Carol Shea-Porter
Member of Congress