Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007
Latest action · Sep 17, 2007 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11563)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 13, 2007
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007 - Amends federal provisions concerning the prosecution of unlawful enemy combatants by U.S. military commissions to, among other things: (1) repeal the authority for civilian trial (prosecution) counsel in a commission proceeding, but authorize civilian military defense counsel; (2) exclude statements made by coercion; (3) authorize the Secretary of Defense to make exceptions to commission procedures and rules of evidence as required by unique circumstances of military or intelligence operations during hostilities; (4) provide for self-representation by the accused, while requiring assistance by military defense counsel; (5) authorize the military judge to order trial counsel to disclose to defense counsel the sources, methods, or activities in which witnesses or evidence against the accused was obtained; (6) require commission decision review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces rather than by the Court of Military Commission Review; (7) provide the scope of review of detention-related decisions; (8) repeal a provision of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 prohibiting invoking the Geneva Conventions (Conventions) or similar protocols in any habeas corpus or other action to which the United States is a party; (9) require the President to notify other parties to the Conventions that the United States expects members of U.S. Armed Forces and other U.S. citizens detained in a conflict not of an international character to be treated in a manner consistent with the Conventions; (10) include as War Crime offenses the denial of trial rights and the imposition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; (11) restore habeas corpus for individuals detained by the United States; and (12) provide for expedited judicial review of civil actions that challenges any provision of the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
Cosponsors 13
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 13, 2007 to Aug 3, 2007; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-VT | Patrick J. Leahy | Original | Feb 13, 2007 |
| D-NJ | Robert Menendez | Original | Feb 13, 2007 |
| D-WI | Russell D. Feingold | Original | Feb 13, 2007 |
| D-MA | Edward M. Kennedy | Feb 26, 2007 | |
| D-NJ | Frank R. Lautenberg | Feb 26, 2007 | |
| D-CA | Barbara Boxer | Feb 28, 2007 | |
| D-MD | Barbara A. Mikulski | Mar 1, 2007 | |
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Mar 26, 2007 | |
| D-IA | Tom Harkin | Mar 26, 2007 | |
| D-NM | Jeff Bingaman | Mar 28, 2007 | |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Apr 10, 2007 | |
| D-OR | Ron Wyden | Jun 14, 2007 | |
| D-IL | Barack Obama | Aug 3, 2007 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Armed Services Committee | Referred Feb 13, 2007 |
Actions 4
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 17, 2007Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11563)
- Feb 13, 2007Introduced in Senate
- Feb 13, 2007Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1918-1919)
- Feb 13, 2007Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
In the Congressional Record 2
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S11563 | Christopher J. Dodd D-CT | Sep 17, 2007 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S1918–S1920 | Christopher J. Dodd D-CT, Russell D. Feingold D-WI | Feb 13, 2007 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 1415 | Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007 | Related bill | Apr 20, 2007 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to provide for the effective prosecution of terrorists and guarantee due process rights.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
- Appellate courts
- Appellate procedure
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Civil procedure
- Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Congress
- Congress and foreign policy
- Congressional oversight
- Conspiracy
- Constitutional law
- Courts-martial and courts of inquiry
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Criminal procedure
- Discovery (Law)
- District courts
- Due process of law
- Evidence (Law)
- Exclusionary rule (Evidence)
- Government attorneys
- Government Operations and Politics
- Habeas corpus
- Hearsay evidence
- Human rights
- International Affairs
- Iraq compilation
- Judicial review
- Jurisdiction
- Law
- Lawyers
- Presidential powers
- Prisoners of war
- Punishment
- Searches and seizures
- September 11, 2001
- Supreme Court
- Terrorism
- Torture
- Treaties
- War crimes
- Warrants (Law)
- Witnesses
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 13, 2007Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
