Critical Senate Vote on Habeas Corpus

Tell Your Senators: Vote Yes to Restore Habeas Corpus Restore Habeas Corpus

This week, the Senate will hold its first up-or-down vote on restoring habeas corpus. Tell your Senators to support the Specter-Leahy amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill.


For the last several months, Working Assets members have been leading the fight to restore habeas corpus. We worked hard to ensure that legislation passed the Senate Judiciary committee by holding meetings with key senators. This week, the first up-or-down vote on restoring this critical right will occur in the Senate -- and your voice can make a difference.

Tell your Senators that it is time to save habeas corpus and restore our Constitution.

In September 2006, Congress passed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA), which stripped the right of habeas corpus for the first time since the Civil War. Habeas corpus is a fundamental right common to all modern legal systems, which requires independent judicial review of charges brought by the executive branch. But the passage of MCA has allowed the Bush administration to hold "detainees" at Guantanamo indefinitely -- without any explanation for their imprisonment.


Click here to let your Senators know you want to see habeas corpus restored.

Indefinite detention is simply unconstitutional, and does not reflect American values. On June 7th, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to take the first step to restore habeas corpus by approving the "Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007" (S. 185), sponsored by Senators Leahy and Specter. Today, the Senate is starting debate on the Defense Authorization bill, and S. 185 will be offered as an amendment.

Without habeas corpus, it's a very slippery slope towards dictatorship.

So click here to ask your Senators to vote yes on the Leahy-Specter habeas amendment; we'll send a copy of your letter to your representative as well.

Please share this message with anyone you know who cares about restoring habeas corpus.

Thank you for working to build a better world.

Will Easton, Manager
ActForChange.com/Working Assets