[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 5, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL COMMISSION ON 
              PRESIDENTIAL WAR POWERS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 5, 2011

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today I introduce a bill that will create a 
national commission to examine fundamental questions regarding national 
security, civil liberties, and the rule of law. These include: What 
actions are permitted in the name of national security? What rights and 
liberties should a free people demand? Can the so-called Imperial 
Presidency be controlled?
  These questions take on greater significance every year. The power of 
the Presidency seems to grow and grow under both parties, and the 
ability of our democratic institutions to constrain it seems more and 
more uncertain.
  In the current political atmosphere, I believe that an expert 
commission with appointments made by both branches and individuals of 
both parties would be uniquely positioned to evaluate the issues and 
propose steps that the Congress can take to enhance both our liberty 
and our security for generations to come.

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