[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 52 (Thursday, April 3, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H1976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PARDON BORDER AGENTS

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, the Constitution gives the President absolute 
authority to grant a pardon. He has exercised that power 157 times. 
Last week, he pardoned 15 more people convicted of everything from 
importation of drugs to bank fraud and other crimes.
  But two people not on his pardon list are Border Agents Ramos and 
Compean, who are serving 11 and 12 years for enforcing the law on the 
Texas-Mexico border. They were convicted of civil rights violations 
when they shot a drug smuggler bringing in $750,000 worth of drugs to 
the United States.
  The United States Government gave the drug dealer complete immunity 
for his crimes to testify against the agents. Then the Justice 
Department hid from the jury the fact that the drug dealers smuggled in 
another load of drugs shortly before the trial. The U.S. Attorney made 
a backroom deal with the smuggler for his testimony and got the tainted 
testimony they bartered for.
  Last session, this House passed legislation to prevent taxpayer money 
from being used to incarcerate Ramos and Compean, but they are still in 
prison. Because of the U.S. Attorney's actions of deception in this 
trial, and the fact that the agents were just doing their job, are 
grounds for the President to pardon both of the border agents 
immediately.
  And that's just the way it is.

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