House committee 'flip-flops' on Bush detainee bill

RAW STORY
Published: Wednesday September 20, 2006

Reversing its prior vote against a terrorist detainee bill supported by the Bush administration (as reported earlier on Raw Story), the House Judiciary Committee has now voted instead to support the bill.

A Congressional Quarterly article explains that "arm-twisting by top GOP leaders" apparently led to a change of heart by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), who had earlier voted against the bill. Additional votes in favor of the bill were cast by two GOP representatives who were absent from the first tally.

House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) announced the reversal hours after the original vote.

Excerpts from the subscription-only article follow...

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After a round of arm-twisting by top GOP leaders, the House Judiciary Committee reversed itself late Wednesday and endorsed the Bush administration’s proposed ground rules for interrogation and trial of enemy combatants captured in the war on terrorism.

The committee earlier in the afternoon had rejected the bill by 17-20 and agreed by voice vote to report the measure (HR 6054) unfavorably. The legislation had been approved last week by the House Armed Services Committee.

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Despite the last-minute victory for the White House, the Judiciary Committee tussle clearly signaled that some House Republicans share the concerns about Bush’s approach expressed in the Senate by Armed Services Chairman John W. Warner, R-Va., and Republicans John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

"The war will be won by winning the hearts and minds — not of the detainees and the terrorists, but the hearts and minds of their followers," Inglis said after the vote. "If they see as us acting consistent with our principles, than we’ve got a shot at winning their hearts and minds."

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