March 21: National Call-in to Congress on Military Commissions Act

On March 21, tell Congress to restore habeas corpus and dismantle the Military Commissions Act

Congress's passage of the Military Commissions Act last September was a giveaway to the Bush administration's effort to hide evidence of torture, to deny Guantánamo detainees due process, and to block detainees from using the writ of habeas corpus to challenge the legality of their detentions.

America has lost its moral compass. Now it's up to us to get it back. On Wednesday, March 21, or any other day this week, join the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, ACLU, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Presbyterian Church, Public Citizen, and the Religious Action Center in a weeklong, grassroots repudiation of the Military Commissions Act! BORDC signed up to make calls on Wednesday, but if another day is more convenient, please make your calls on any day this week.

The Message: Please phone both your Senators and your Representative (Dial the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 (24 hours) and ask the operator to connect you, or find their direct phone numbers and urge them to:

Co-sponsor legislation restoring habeas corpus and other fundamental rights abolished by the MCA (see bill numbers below).
Seek out Republican co-sponsors for legislation restoring habeas corpus.
Hold hearings on legislation that would repeal key provisions of the MCA.
Speak out publicly on the importance of a thorough restoration to our vanishing rights.

Sample talking points and more information

Proposed legislation includes bills to restore or preserve habeas corpus and bills to partially dismantle the Military Commissions Act (MCA).

Bills that take large steps towards dismantling the Military Commissions Act:
S. 576 (Sen. Christopher Dodd) and H.R. 1415 (Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Jane Harman), Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007, would not only restore the writ of habeas corpus for those detained by the United States, but would also do the following:

Prohibit testimony gained by torture or coercion,
Narrow the definition of enemy combatant,
Reassert the Geneva Conventions,
Provide for expedited judicial review of Military Commissions Act

Bills that would restore habeas corpus alone:

S. 185 (Senators Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter), the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007, would restore the right of habeas corpus for those detained by the United States.
H.R. 1416 (Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Jane Harman), Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007 (House version of Senate bill S. 185 above).
H.R. 267 (Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee), the Military Commissions Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007, would restore the right of habeas corpus for those detained by the United States.
H.R. 1189 (Rep. David Wu), To Preserve the Right of Habeas Corpus, would restore the right of habeas corpus for all U.S. legal residents.

Please don't miss this opportunity to make your voice heard.

Thank you for all you do!

The Bill of Rights Defense Committee:
Nancy Talanian, Director
Hope Marston, Organizer, West Region
Mohamed Elgadi, Organizer, East Region
Meredith Gray, Administrator