PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Sep 26, 2008
States that the next President must: (1) reaffirm the commitment to upholding the Constitution of the United States; (2) fully investigate Bush/Cheney Administration officials' alleged crimes and hold them accountable for any illegal acts; (3) make such officials comply with congressional subpoenas; (4) hold accountable officials who disclose the identity of any covert agent; (5) hold accountable officials who pursue politically motivated prosecutions; (6) ensure that any official guilty of a war crime is prosecuted under the War Crimes Act and the Anti-Torture Act; (7) affirm the sole legal right of Congress to declare war; (8) make criminal an official's lying to Congress and the public about the reasons for going to war; (9) restore the writ of habeas corpus as an essential principle of democracy; (10) ensure that torture and rendition is uniformly prohibited under U.S. law; (11) immediately close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp; (12) require independent judicial review of claims of state secrets privilege by executive officials; (13) reaffirm that the Office of the Vice President is part of the executive branch; (14) publicly review potential abuses of the presidential pardon process; and (15) reform the use of presidential signing statements.
People & committees
Rep. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI-2] · D–WI
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Jun 6, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze H.Res.1509 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
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