[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 1341-1342]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      A RETURN TO JUSTICE FOR ALL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the bold leadership 
coming from our new administration. Today President Obama signed 
executive orders to put an end to destructive policies of the Bush 
administration. Americans and people all over the world will know, once 
again, that the United States rejects the use of torture

[[Page 1342]]

and that we will proceed with the rule of law.
  With his announcements this morning, President Obama is taking an 
important step for undoing the damage that has been caused over the 
past 8 years. The prison at Guantanamo Bay and the horrors at Abu 
Ghraib have so stained the honor of the United States that it will take 
years to regain the trust of the international community.
  Under the past administration the world saw a White House that 
operated in secrecy and was all too eager to bend and break the rule of 
law when it was convenient to do so. Progressives fought every step of 
the way and demanded an end to torture and the closure of Guantanamo 
Bay.
  President Obama is living up to his campaign promises, and he is 
signaling to the world a return to the very values that have led our 
Nation to be viewed as the greatest democracy on earth, our unyielding 
commitment to the rule of law and profound respect for human decency.
  This Congress stands ready to help the administration. Whether it's 
bringing an end to prisons like Guantanamo or bringing our troops home 
from Iraq, we pledge to help the President forge a new path for America 
and for the world. Again, Mr. Speaker, I applaud the administration's 
bold move forward, and I will commit to supporting our renewed role as 
world leader for justice and human rights.

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