[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18622]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  STATEMENT ON LIBBY COMMUTATION AND PARDON FOR FORMER BORDER PATROL 
                        AGENTS RAMOS AND COMPEAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, many Americans are outraged 
by the President's decision to commute the sentence of White House aide 
Scooter Libby, while at the same time, he refuses to pardon former 
Border Agents Ramos and Compean.
  Scooter Libby, an attorney who understands the laws of this country 
and should know right from wrong, was convicted of perjury, obstruction 
of justice, and lying to investigators. Mr. Libby, who should have 
served his sentence, did not spend 1 day in prison. Yet, two Border 
Patrol agents with exemplary records, who tried their best to do their 
duty to protect the American people from an illegal alien drug 
smuggler, are serving 11 and 12 years in prison today.
  Today is the agents' 176th day in Federal prison. Two heroes sit 
behind bars while a guilty man walks free. Again, I say, where is the 
justice? By attempting to apprehend a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 
743 pounds of marijuana across our borders, these agents were enforcing 
our laws, not breaking them. For almost a year, thousands of American 
citizens and dozens of Members of Congress have asked President Bush to 
pardon these agents. The President repeatedly responds that there is a 
pardon ``process'' and ``a series of steps'' to be taken by the Justice 
Department, ``to make a recommendation as to whether or not a President 
grants a pardon.'' Yet, Mr. Speaker, the President did not consult the 
Justice Department in Mr. Libby's case.
  Mr. President, if there is a process, why did this process not matter 
when you commuted Mr. Libby's sentence?
  The President has the power to immediately pardon agents Ramos and 
Compean, two heroes who were unjustly prosecuted for doing their job to 
protect our border. I have written the President and called on him to 
correct a true injustice by using his executive authority to 
immediately pardon these men.
  Mr. Speaker, I will submit for the Record the entire text of the 
letter that I have written to the President.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman John Conyers, who I am sure at 
some point in time will hold a hearing to thoroughly review the 
prosecution of these agents. Tonight, I especially want to thank 
Senator Dianne Feinstein, who has shared my concerns about the 
unfairness of this prosecution. I am extremely pleased that she will be 
presiding over a Senate hearing next Tuesday to examine the details of 
this case. There are many questions and concerns about the actions of 
the U.S. Attorney in this case that need to be answered. I am hopeful 
that justice will soon prevail for these two men.
  Mr. Speaker, before I close, I want to say to the families of Border 
Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean that this House of Representatives will 
not forget your loved ones. We will not forget that an injustice has 
prevailed. We will seek justice for your husbands and your fathers and 
your relatives. I hope and pray that the President himself will pray 
about this and grant to these two men justice instead of injustice.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the letter referred to earlier.

                                                     July 3, 2007.
     Hon. George W. Bush,
     The White House, Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: In light of your recent commutation of 
     I. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby's prison sentence, I am writing to 
     express my deep disappointment that U.S. Border Patrol agents 
     Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean remain unjustly incarcerated 
     for wounding a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds 
     of marijuana across our border.
       While you have spared Mr. Libby from serving even one day 
     of his ``excessive'' 30-month prison term, agents Ramos and 
     Compean have already served 167 days of their 11- and 12-year 
     prison sentences. By attempting to apprehend an illegal alien 
     drug smuggler, these agents were enforcing our laws, not 
     breaking them.
       Mr. President, it is now time to listen to the American 
     people and Members of Congress who have called upon you to 
     pardon these agents. By granting immunity and free health 
     care to an illegal alien drug trafficker and allowing our law 
     enforcement officers to languish in prison--our government 
     has told its citizens, and the world, that it does not care 
     about protecting our borders or enforcing our laws.
       I urge you to correct a true injustice by immediately 
     pardoning these two law enforcement officers.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Walter B. Jones,
     Member of Congress.

                          ____________________