June 16, 2015

Wyden Praises Senate Vote To Ban Torture

Washington, D.C. –Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., praised the Senate’s passage of an amendment banning torture by U.S. intelligence agencies. The amendment, by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and John McCain, R-Ariz., requires intelligence agencies to follow the Army Field Manual’s guidelines for interrogations. Wyden co-sponsored the amendment, which was added to a defense policy bill.

“With today’s vote, the Senate expressed clear support for strengthening and clarifying the U.S. ban on torture,” Wyden said. “Torture undermines American values without making our country safer, and I’m pleased that the Senate is willing to act to keep it from being used in the future.  Senior CIA officials have worked hard to ignore the facts laid out in the Senate torture report, but it will be hard for them to ignore this vote.”    

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