National Faith Coalition Praises Congress for Rejecting Torture - National Religious Campaign Against Torture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 7, 2015

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National Faith Coalition Praises Congress for Rejecting Torture

WASHINGTON – With the Senate's vote earlier today to advance the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), both houses of Congress have now passed legislation that would put a permanent end to CIA torture. Authored by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), the McCain-Feinstein provision (included as part of the larger NDAA and passed by the Senate earlier this year with a bi-partisan 78-21 vote) represents a clear and undeniable rejection of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment in interrogations.

Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture released this statement:

"Congress deserves our thanks for passing legislation that would put a permanent end to CIA torture. The McCain-Feinstein provision requires that the CIA use only ethical, legal interrogation techniques and ensures that the International Committee of the Red Cross has access to all detainees. Leaders and believers of many different American faith groups have spent the past decade calling on our government to ban CIA torture – and Congress has responded to that call. We can now begin to hope that our government will not torture again.

"However, it is unconscionable that the NDAA also includes provisions that would unreasonably restrict the Administration from transferring even cleared detainees out of Guantanamo. Guantanamo is both a symbolic reminder of our country's use of torture and a place where most detainees are still held without a trial. Keeping Guantanamo open violates core American values."

Matt Hawthorne, Policy Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture added:

"The President has made clear that he intends to veto the version of the NDAA passed today. The negotiations that follow his veto will be one additional test of our leaders' willingness to do the right thing and reject torture. It is morally obligatory that whatever ends up being signed into law includes the McCain-Feinstein provision banning CIA torture and ends the unreasonable restrictions on detainee transfers."

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a membership organization committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Since its formation in January 2006, more than 300 religious organizations have joined NRCAT, including representatives from the Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian Universalist, Quaker, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Baha’i, Buddhist, and Sikh communities. Members include national denominations and faith groups, regional organizations and local congregations.
NRCAT.org @NRCATtweets facebook.com/nrcat

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