BERKS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE

434 WALNUT STREET

READING, PA  19601

610-376-2304

www.berksdems.org

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release:                                                         Contact:  Tom Herman

October 27, 2006                                                                                  610-376-2304

            Reading, PA – On Saturday, October 21, 2006, at its regular meeting, the Berks County Democratic Committee passed a resolution for the repeal of the recently signed Military Commissions Act of 2006 and asked Congress to pass a constitutional law that abides by the Geneva Convention.

On Saturday, October 21, 2006 the Democratic Committee of Berks County unanimously passed a resolution calling for the repeal of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and calling for Congress to pass an appropriate law that is constitutional and meets our obligations under the Geneva Convention.

The committee voted for this resolution because there are certain provisions in this act that put in jeopardy our democratic form of government by taking away our right to habeas corpus (no longer being able to challenge detention), by giving the president the power to at his discretion name anyone an “enemy combatant,” by nullifying articles of the Geneva Convention and allowing torture. It also grandfathers any war crime committed by or ordered by the Bush administration since 9/11, which means that they cannot be prosecuted for those crimes.

The resolution is as follows:

Whereas, by allowing the suspension of habeas corpus the Military Commissions Act of 2006 is in violation of Article One of the Constitution,

Whereas, by allowing the commander in chief to make the determination on what constitutes torture the Military Commissions Act of 2006 is in violation of the Geneva Convention.

Resolved, that the Berks County Democratic Committee urges Congress to immediately vote to repeal the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and to pass a law that adheres to the Constitution of the United States and the Geneva Convention.

Tom Herman, Chairman of the Berks County Democratic Committee said, “the direction of our committee is clear and we will request all our elected officials to abide by it.”

end.