[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 16, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4173-S4185]

        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016

[...]

                           Amendment No. 1889

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, Congress has some unfinished business 
before it. When the President took office, he issued an Executive order 
banning torture. It is regrettable that such a step was even necessary 
for a country that has been a signatory to the Convention Against 
Torture since 1988, more than 25 years ago. But it was the right thing 
for the President to do and consistent with our values as Americans. In 
particular, the President ordered that all U.S. Government personnel 
and contractors must comply with the interrogation standards in the 
Army Field Manual and that the International Committee of the Red Cross 
should have notice of and access to detainees held by the U.S. 
Government.
  Now it is time for Congress to adopt these same requirements--to 
enshrine them in law and ensure that America never again employs 
torture, no matter what the threat.
  Senators McCain and Feinstein have offered an amendment that mirrors 
these requirements of the Executive order. It would require all 
government personnel and contractors, across all agencies and 
departments, to abide by the rules and regulations contained in the 
Army Field Manual. It also would ensure that the International 
Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, is provided access to all 
individuals detained by the United States.
  These requirements have already been in place for 6 years, and this 
amendment is consistent with current practice. The Army Field Manual 
provides clear guidelines on acceptable and effective interrogation 
practices. It reinforces explicit prohibitions in existing law against 
torture and other cruel and inhumane treatment. It is relied upon by 
our military personnel when they conduct high-risk interrogations on 
the battlefield. There is no reason why these rules should not apply to 
all government personnel and contractors, in all places, and at all 
times.
  This is a critically important amendment. We know from the historic 
report of the Senate Intelligence Committee that the CIA engaged in 
horrific acts of torture during the Bush administration. We must be 
unequivocal to the world and to ourselves that torture is wrong and 
that it is never permitted.
  An Executive order is not enough. Congress must act. We must codify 
these safeguards into law. When it comes to our core values--the things 
that make our country great and that define America's place in the 
world--they do not change depending on the circumstances. The 
Convention Against Torture does not make exceptions. We must be clear 
that there are no instances when torture is acceptable.
  I urge Senators to support the anti-torture amendment, and I commend 
Senators McCain and Feinstein for their enduring leadership on this
issue. We must ensure that America never allows this to happen again. 

[...]

                           Amendment No. 1889

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator 
from California have 15 minutes and I have 10 minutes and that the vote 
be delayed until completion of the 15 minutes and the 10 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
  I thank the distinguished chairman for this time. I do not think I 
will take 15 minutes. We have worked it down.
  I join Senator McCain and Ranking Member Reed--as well as Senator 
Collins and the other cosponsors, Senators Leahy, Paul, King, Flake, 
Heinrich, Whitehouse, Mikulski, Wyden, Murphy, Hirono, Warner, Baldwin, 
Brown and Markey--in offering an amendment that will help ensure the 
United States never again carries out coercive and abusive 
interrogation techniques or indefinite secret detentions.
  I am very pleased that the Senate will consider this amendment, and I 
urge an aye vote.
  The amendment we are offering today is really very simple. It applies 
the authorizations and restrictions for interrogations in the Army 
Field Manual to the entire U.S. Government.
  It extends what Congress did in 2005, by a vote of 90 to 9, with the 
Detainee Treatment Act--which I believe Senator McCain authored--which 
banned the Department of Defense from using techniques not authorized 
by the Army Field Manual and also banned the government from using 
cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment.
  The amendment also requires prompt access by the International 
Committee of the Red Cross to any detainee held by the U.S. Government.
  Both of these provisions are consistent with United States policy for 
the past several years, but this amendment would codify these 
requirements into law.
  President Obama banned the use of coercive and abusive interrogation 
techniques by Executive order in his first few days in office, actually 
on January 22, 2009.
  That Executive order formally prohibits--as a matter of policy--the 
use of interrogation techniques not specifically authorized by the Army 
Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations.
  This amendment places that restriction in law. It is long overdue.
  The amendment also codifies another section of President Obama's 
January 2009 Executive order, requiring access by the International 
Committee of the Red Cross to all U.S. detainees in U.S. Government 
custody--access which has been historically granted by the United 
States and other law-abiding nations and is needed to fulfill our 
obligations under international law, such as the Geneva Conventions.
  It is also important to understand that the policies in the 2009 
Executive order are only guaranteed for as long as a future President 
agrees to leave them in place. This amendment would codify these two 
provisions into law.
  Current law already bans torture, as well as cruel, inhuman, or 
degrading treatment or punishment.
  However, this amendment is still necessary because interrogation 
techniques were able to be used, which were based on a deeply flawed 
legal theory, and those techniques, it was said, did not constitute 
``torture'' or ``cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.''
  These legal opinions could be written again.
  In 2009, President Obama's Executive Order settled the issue as 
formal policy, and this amendment will codify a prohibition on a 
program that was already defunct at the end of the Bush administration.
  CIA Director John Brennan has clearly stated that he agrees with the 
ban on interrogation techniques that are not in the Army Field Manual. 
Director Brennan wrote the following to the Intelligence Committee in 
2013 about the President's 2009 Executive order:

       I want to reaffirm what I said during my confirmation 
     hearing: I agree with the president's decision, and, while I 
     am the Director of the CIA, this program will not under any 
     circumstances be reinitiated. I personally remain firm in my 
     belief that enhanced interrogation techniques are not an 
     appropriate method to obtain intelligence and that their use 
     impairs our ability to continue to play a leadership role in 
     the world.

  Furthermore, it is important to point out that the Senate and the 
House both

[[Page S4179]]

required the use of the Army Field Manual across the government in the 
fiscal year 2008 Intelligence authorization bill. Unfortunately, 
President Bush vetoed that legislation.
  Whatever one may think about the CIA's former detention and 
interrogation program, we should all agree that there can be no turning 
back to the era of torture.

  Interrogation techniques that would together constitute torture do 
not work. They corrode our moral standing, and ultimately they 
undermine any counterterrorism policies they are intended to support.
  So before I close, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the 
Record a series of letters and statements in support of this amendment.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:
                                                     June 9, 2015.
       Dear Senator: As retired generals and admirals who believe 
     that American ideals are a national security asset, we urge 
     you to support the amendment to the 2016 National Defense 
     Authorization Act that solidifies the ban against torture and 
     cruel treatment of detainees in U.S. custody.
       While international and domestic law, including the 2005 
     Detainee Treatment Act, prohibit such cruelty, high-level 
     officials in the Executive Branch still managed to evade 
     congressional intent by using loophole lawyering to authorize 
     torture and cruel treatment. We need to make sure this never 
     happens again. The United States should have one standard for 
     interrogating detainees that is effective, lawful, and 
     humane.
       The McCain-Feinstein amendment would ensure lawful, 
     effective, and humane interrogations of individuals taken 
     into custody by requiring all agencies and departments to 
     comply with the time-tested requirements of the Army Field 
     Manual (``Human Intelligence Collector Operations''). It 
     would also codify existing Department of Defense (DOD) 
     practice of guaranteeing timely notification and access to 
     the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for 
     detainees taken into custody--an important bulwark against 
     abuse.
       We strongly urge you to support this legislation to help 
     move our country towards decisively rejecting the use of 
     torture or cruel treatment against detainees held in our 
     custody.
       Thank you for your commitment to upholding our national 
     security and American values.
           Sincerely,
         General Joseph Hoar, USMC (Ret.); General Charles Krulak, 
           USMC (Ret.); General David M. Maddox, USA (Ret.); 
           Lieutenant General John Castellaw, USMC (Ret.); 
           Lieutenant General Robert G. Gard, Jr., USA (Ret.); 
           Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn, USN (Ret.); Lieutenant 
           General Claudia J. Kennedy, USA (Ret.); Lieutenant 
           General Charles Otstott, USA (Ret.); Lieutenant General 
           Norman R. Seip, USAF (Ret.); Vice Admiral Joe Sestak, 
           USN (Ret.); Lieutenant General Harry E. Soyster, USA 
           (Ret.); Lieutenant General Keith J. Stalder, USMC 
           (Ret.); Rear Admiral Don Guter, JAGC, USN (Ret.); Rear 
           Admiral John D. Hutson, JAGC, USN (Ret.); Major General 
           J. Michael Myatt, USMC (Ret.); Major General William L. 
           Nash, USA (Ret.).
         Major General Eric T. Olson, USA (Ret.); Major General 
           Thomas J. Romig, USA (Ret.); Major General Walter L. 
           Stewart, Jr., USA (Ret.); Major General Antonio M. 
           Taguba, USA (Ret.); Brigadier General John Adams, USA 
           (Ret.); Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney, USMC 
           (Ret.); Brigadier General James P. Cullen, USA (Ret.); 
           Brigadier General Evelyn P. Foote, USA (Ret.); 
           Brigadier General Gerald E. Galloway, USA (Ret.); 
           Brigadier General Leif H. Hendrickson, USMC (Ret.); 
           Brigadier General David R. Irvine, USA (Ret.); 
           Brigadier General John H. Johns, USA (Ret.); Brigadier 
           General Murray G. Sagsveen, USA (Ret.); Brigadier 
           General Stephen N. Xenakis, USA (Ret.).
                                  ____


                [From Peaceful Tomorrows, June 10, 2015]

  September 11th Families Support the Reinforcement of Ban on Torture

                         (Posted by Katharina)

       As family members of those killed on September 11th we have 
     strong opinions regarding torture. The use of enhanced 
     interrogation techniques, or torture by another name, was 
     wrongly justified by some as means to prevent another 
     terrorist attack. Torture is never justified. September 11th 
     Families for Peaceful Tomorrows applauds the legislation 
     being offered by Senators McCain and Feinstein to reinforce 
     the ban on torture. Any assertion of torture as effective 
     must be repudiated. Any loophole suggesting torture as a 
     justifiable means to security must be closed. Any ethical 
     principle that finds torture morally permissible must be 
     challenged.
       American legislators must clearly and forcefully codify 
     policy that rejects and criminalizes torture in all its 
     forms. Only then will trust in the rule of law be restored, 
     and the people of this nation truly safe.
                                  ____

                                                     June 9, 2015.
       Dear Senator: As intelligence and interrogation 
     professionals who have offered our collective voice opposing 
     torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading 
     treatment, we strongly encourage you to support the amendment 
     to the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act that 
     solidifies the ban against torture and cruel treatment of 
     detainees in U.S. custody.
       While international and domestic law, including the 2005 
     Detainee Treatment Act, prohibit such cruelty, sadly high-
     level officials in the Executive Branch exploited loopholes 
     and still authorized torture and cruel treatment. The 
     interrogation methods that have kept America safe for 
     generations are sophisticated, humane, lawful, and produce 
     reliable, actionable intelligence in any interrogation 
     scenario. To promote a return to that respected level of 
     professionalism, there must be a single well-defined standard 
     of conduct--consistent with our values as a nation--across 
     all U.S. agencies to govern the detention and interrogation 
     of people anywhere in U.S. custody.
       The amendment would ensure lawful, effective, and humane 
     interrogations of individuals taken into custody by requiring 
     all agencies and departments to comply with the time-tested 
     requirements of the Army Field Manual (``Human Intelligence 
     Collector Operations''). It would also require a review of 
     the Army Field Manual to ensure that best practices and the 
     most recent evidenced-based research on humane interrogation 
     are incorporated. It would also codify existing Department of 
     Defense (DOD) practice of guaranteeing timely notification 
     and access to the International Committee of the Red Cross 
     (ICRC) for detainees taken into custody--an important bulwark 
     against abuse.
       We strongly urge you to support this legislation to help 
     move our country forward and reaffirm that there is no 
     conflict between adhering to one of our nation's essential 
     and founding values--respect for inherent human dignity--and 
     our ability to obtain the intelligence we need to protect the 
     nation.
           Sincerely,
         Frank Anderson, CIA (Ret.); Donald Canestraro, DEA 
           (Ret.); Glenn Carle, CIA (Ret.); Jack Cloonan, CIA 
           (Ret.); Barry Eisler, Formerly CIA; Eric Fair, Formerly 
           U.S. Army; Mark Fallon, NCIS (Ret.); Charlton Howard, 
           NCIS (Ret.); David Irvine, Brigadier General, U.S. Army 
           (Ret.); Timothy James, NCIS (Ret.); Steve Kleinman, 
           Colonel, USAFR (Ret.); Marcus Lewis, Formerly U.S. 
           Army; Brittain Mallow, Colonel, USA (Ret.); Mike Marks, 
           NCIS (Ret.);
         Robert McFadden, NCIS (Ret.); Charles Mink, Formerly U.S. 
           Army; Joe Navarro, FBI (Ret.); Torin Nelson, Formerly 
           U.S. Army; Carissa Pastuch, Formerly U.S. Army; William 
           Quinn, Formerly U.S. Army; Ken Robinson, U.S. Army 
           (Ret.); Rolince, Mike, FBI (Ret.); Ed Soyster, 
           Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (Ret.).
                                  ____

                                        Committee on International


                                            Justice and Peace,

                                    Washington, DC, June 10, 2015.
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator, As deliberations over the FY 2016 National 
     Defense Authorization Act continue, I write to express 
     support for an amendment offered by Senators John McCain and 
     Dianne Feinstein that would prohibit all U.S. government 
     agencies and their agents from using torture as an 
     interrogation technique.
       The amendment would:
       Require all U.S. government agencies (including the CIA) to 
     limit interrogation techniques to those set out in the Army 
     Field Manual;
       Require the Army Field Manual be updated regularly and 
     remain available to the public to reflect best interrogation 
     techniques designed to elicit statements without the use or 
     threat of force; and
       Require the International Committee of the Red Cross be 
     given access to all detainees.
       These provisions are ones that the Committee on 
     International Justice and Peace of the United States 
     Conference of Catholic Bishops have long supported in trying 
     to ban the practice of torture by the U.S. government.
       The Army Field Manual 2-22.3 prescribes uniform standards 
     for interrogating persons detained by the Department of 
     Defense. A guiding principle of the Field Manual echoes the 
     Golden Rule: ``In attempting to determine if a contemplated 
     approach or technique should be considered prohibited, and 
     therefore should not be included in an interrogation plan, 
     consider . . . if the proposed approach technique were used 
     by the enemy against one of your fellow soldiers, would you 
     believe the soldier had been abused?'' (5-76)
       The McCain-Feinstein amendment seeks to ensure that Army 
     Field Manual's standard is also the same standard used by 
     other governmental agencies, including the CIA. Adhering to 
     these standards and ensuring access by the International 
     Committee of the Red Cross to visit detainees in 
     international armed conflicts would make a substantial 
     contribution to our nation's efforts to uphold our 
     international obligations under the Geneva Conventions and 
     the Convention Against Torture. The amendment would help 
     restore the moral credibility of the United States.
       In Catholic teaching, torture is an intrinsic evil that 
     cannot be justified under any

[[Page S4180]]

     circumstances as it violates the dignity of the human person, 
     both victim and perpetrator, and degrades any society that 
     tolerates it. We urge all Senators to support the McCain-
     Feinstein amendment that would help to ensure that laws are 
     enacted so that our government does not engage in torture 
     ever again.
           Sincerely yours,
                                        Most Reverend Oscar Cantu,
          Bishop of Las Cruces, Chair, Committee on International 
     Justice and Peace.
                                  ____


           Protecting U.S. Security Upholding American Values

       The United States detainee interrogation policy can live up 
     to American values and, at the same time, protect our 
     national security. This policy, supported by overwhelmingly 
     bipartisan legislation in 2005, states: ``No individual in 
     the custody or under the physical control of the U.S. 
     Government, regardless of nationality or physical location, 
     shall be subject to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or 
     punishment.'' Such principles can be attained by following 
     the U.S. Army Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector 
     Operations. We believe these lawful, humane, and effective 
     techniques will produce actionable intelligence while 
     adhering to our founding principles.
       To ensure the integrity of this critical process, Congress 
     should conduct effective, real-time oversight on America's 
     intelligence communities. Failure to live up to these 
     internal safeguards adversely affects the nation's security 
     and damages America's reputation in the world.
         Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State, 2001-2005; 
           Howard Berman, U.S. Congressman (D-CA), 1983-2013; 
           David Boren, U.S. Senator (D-OK), 1979-1994, Governor 
           of Oklahoma, 1975-1979; Harold Brown, Secretary of 
           Defense, 1977-1981; David Durenberger, U.S. Senator (R-
           MN), 1978-1995; Lee Hamilton, U.S. Congressman (D-IN), 
           1965-1999; Gary Hart, U.S. Senator (D-CO), 1975-1987; 
           Rita Hauser, Chair, International Peace Institute, 
           1992-Present; Carla Hills, U.S. Trade Representative, 
           1989-1993; Thomas Kean, Governor of New Jersey, 1982-
           1990, 9/11 Commission Chairman.
         Richard C. Leone, Senior Fellow and former President of 
           the Century Foundation; Carl Levin, U.S. Senator (D-
           MI), 1979-2015; Richard Lugar, U.S. Senator (R-IN), 
           1977-2013; Robert C. McFarlane, National Security 
           Advisor, 1983-1985; Donald McHenry, Ambassador to the 
           United Nations, 1979-1981; William Perry, Secretary of 
           Defense, 1994-1997; Charles Robb, U.S. Senator (D-VA); 
           1989-2001; Governor of Virginia, 1982-1986; Ken 
           Salazar, Secretary of the Interior, 2009-2013, U.S. 
           Senator (D-CO), 2005-2009; George Shultz, Secretary of 
           State, 1982-1989; William H. Taft IV, Deputy Secretary 
           of Defense, 1984-1989.
                                  ____

                                              National Association


                                              of Evangelicals,

                                     Washington, DC, June 8, 2015.
       Dear Senator: As you authorize FY16 appropriations for the 
     Department of Defense, please approve language in an 
     amendment to be offered by Senators McCain and Feinstein that 
     would strengthen the prohibition of torture in U.S. law and 
     apply the Army Field Manual interrogation policies and 
     standards to all personnel and facilities operated or 
     controlled by our government.
       The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) opposes the 
     use of torture as a violation of basic human dignity that is 
     incompatible with our beliefs in the sanctity of human life. 
     The use of torture is also inconsistent with American values, 
     undermines our moral standing in the world and may contribute 
     to an environment in which captured U.S. personnel are 
     subjected to torture.
       The NAE's position is set forth in ``An Evangelical 
     Declaration Against Torture,'' available at http://nae.net/
an-evangelical-dec
     laration-against-torture/, and reaffirmed in a recent NAE 
     statement (http://nae.net/nae-affirms-u-s-army-prohibition-
of-torture/).
       While the use of torture is currently prohibited across all 
     government agencies by executive order, this fundamental 
     principle must be enshrined in law, to ensure that no future 
     President may authorize the use of torture.
       We are grateful for your leadership and pray that God will 
     guide you as you consider how best to defend our nation.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Leith Anderson,
     President.
                                  ____



                                 National Council of Churches,

                                                    June 11, 2015.
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senators: As you consider amendments to the National 
     Defense Authorization Act, please support the McCain-
     Feinstein amendment on torture. The amendment would prohibit 
     torture by requiring the CIA and other agencies to follow the 
     guidelines in the Army Field Manual when conducting 
     interrogations, and by ensuring that the International 
     Committee of the Red Cross is given access to all detainees. 
     The amendment also provides a means to update the Field 
     Manual to reflect the best legal, humane, and effective 
     interrogation techniques.
       As Christians we believe that all people are created in the 
     image of God, endowed by our Creator with an inalienable 
     dignity and worth. Torture is a deeply degrading violation of 
     that image and to us it is never morally acceptable. As the 
     most powerful country on earth, we should set an example for 
     humane treatment of prisoners; we should never allow our 
     nation's practices to be used to justify torture.
       Passing the McCain-Feinstein amendment would strengthen the 
     legal prohibition against torture and thereby prevent the CIA 
     from ever resuming its torture program. Please support 
     McCain-Feinstein and help begin to put the CIA's brutal and 
     degrading use of torture behind us.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Jim Winkler,
     President and General Secretary.
                                  ____

  

         American Civil Liberties Union; Human Rights; National 
           Religious Campaign Against Torture; The Constitution 
           Project; Physicans for Human Rights; Open Society 
           Policy Center; The Center for Victims of Torture

                 (For Immediate Release: June 9, 2015)

Human Rights Groups Applaud Legislation Reaffirming U.S. Prohibition on 
                                Torture

       On Tuesday, June 9, 2015, Senators McCain, Feinstein, Reed, 
     and Collins introduced legislation to make the U.S. Army 
     Field Manual on Interrogations the standard for all U.S. 
     government interrogations to make sure that the United States 
     never uses torture again. Seven human rights and civil 
     liberties organizations, including the ACLU, the Center for 
     Victims of Torture, The Constitution Project, Human Rights 
     First, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, the 
     Open Society Policy Center, and Physicians for Human Rights, 
     announced their strong support for the legislation via the 
     joint statement below.
       Washington, DC.--We applaud Senators McCain, Feinstein, 
     Reed and Collins for offering bipartisan legislation to 
     ensure that the United States never uses torture again. 
     Senator McCain's prior legislation (the Detainee Treatment 
     Act) was approved by the Senate in 2005 with strong 
     bipartisan support and was a positive game-changer by 
     mandating among other things that interrogations conducted by 
     all Department of Defense personnel had to follow the U.S. 
     Army Field Manual on Interrogation (the Interrogation 
     Manual). The McCain-Feinstein amendment extends and improves 
     the Detainee Treatment Act by making the Interrogation Manual 
     the standard for all U.S. government interrogations, and by 
     mandating that the Manual be reviewed and updated regularly 
     to insure that it reflects the very best evidence-based 
     interrogation practices and complies with all U.S. legal 
     obligations. The McCain-Feinstein amendment also requires 
     that the International Committee of the Red Cross have access 
     to every prisoner in U.S. custody no matter where or by whom 
     they are held.
       We believe that the CIA's ``enhanced interrogation'' 
     techniques and ``black sites'' were clearly illegal under the 
     law that existed on 9/11, under the 2005 Detainee Treatment 
     Act and also under the relevant provisions of the 2006 
     Military Commissions Act. But the overwhelming evidence that 
     has emerged of shocking brutality employed by the CIA 
     notwithstanding these laws--including waterboarding, nudity, 
     stress positions, sleep deprivation, forced rectal feeding, 
     beatings and other abuses--demonstrates that additional 
     protections are still essential. Had the McCain-Feinstein 
     amendment been in place following the 9/11 attacks we believe 
     it would have significantly bolstered other prohibitions on 
     torture and made it far more difficult, if not impossible, 
     for the CIA to establish and operate their torture program. 
     Among other things, the Interrogation Manual explicitly 
     prohibits waterboarding, forced nudity and other forms of 
     torture employed by the CIA and it specifies that only 
     interrogation methods that are expressly described in the 
     Interrogation Manual are permitted. In addition, under the 
     McCain-Feinstein legislation no prisoner could have been 
     hidden away at CIA ``black sites'' without access to the Red 
     Cross.
       More can and should be done to pursue accountability for 
     past brutal and illegal interrogations and to improve the 
     Interrogation Manual. But the McCain-Feinstein Amendment is a 
     vital and welcome step toward ensuring that the United States 
     never again uses torture.

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment, and by 
doing so, we can recommit ourselves to the fundamental precept that the 
United States does not torture--without exception and without 
equivocation--and ensure that the mistakes of our past are never again 
repeated in the future.
  I ask for a ``yes'' vote, and I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Flake). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S4181]]

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to, if they wish, 
disregard my statement with the exception of the statement by GEN David 
Petraeus. I don't know of a military leader who is more respected in 
America and throughout the world than GEN David Petraeus. I don't have 
to remind my colleagues that he was the commander of U.S. forces in 
Iraq and Afghanistan and Director of the CIA. He arguably has more 
experience dealing with foreign detainee issues across the U.S. 
Government than any other American. These are the words of GEN David 
Petraeus:

       I strongly support the extension of the provisions of the 
     U.S. Army Field Manual that currently govern the actions of 
     the U.S. military to all U.S. Government personnel and 
     contractors. Our Nation has paid a high price in recent 
     decades for the information gained by the use of techniques 
     beyond those in the field manual, and in my view, that price 
     far outweighed the value of the information gained through 
     the use of techniques beyond those in the manual.

  I urge my colleagues to listen to the words of David Petraeus.
  Here is a letter I received this month from former intelligence 
interrogation professionals, the U.S. military, the CIA, and the FBI. 
Here is an excerpt from the letter they sent to me this month:

       As intelligence and interrogation professionals who have 
     offered our collective voice opposing torture and other forms 
     of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, we strongly 
     encourage you to support the amendment. . . . The 
     interrogation methods that have kept America safe for 
     generations are sophisticated, humane, lawful and produce 
     reliable, actionable intelligence in any interrogation 
     scenario. To promote a return to that respected level of 
     professionalism, there must be a single well-defined standard 
     of conduct--consistent with our values as a nation--across 
     all U.S. agencies to govern the detention and interrogation 
     of people anywhere in U.S. custody.

  This is supported by some of our most experienced military leaders. 
They expressed their views in a letter I received this month, 30 of 
whom are retired, including a former Commandant of the Marine Corps, 
former commander of Centcom, former commander and chief of U.S. Army 
Europe--they wrote the following:

       This amendment not only solidifies America's stance against 
     torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading 
     treatment. It also ensures that interrogation methods used by 
     all U.S. personnel are professional and reflect the 
     government's best practices. In that way, we not only ensure 
     that these interrogations are humane and lawful, but also 
     that they produce reliable intelligence on which we depend if 
     we are to fight and win against the current terrorist threat.

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record 
the letter from those individuals dated June 9, 2015.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                     June 9, 2015.
       Dear Senator: As intelligence and interrogation 
     professionals who have offered our collective voice opposing 
     torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading 
     treatment, we strongly encourage you to support the amendment 
     to the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act that 
     solidifies the ban against torture and cruel treatment of 
     detainees in U.S. custody.
       While international and domestic law, including the 2005 
     Detainee Treatment Act, prohibit such cruelty, sadly high-
     level officials in the Executive Branch exploited loopholes 
     and still authorized torture and cruel treatment. The 
     interrogation methods that have kept America safe for 
     generations are sophisticated, humane, lawful, and produce 
     reliable, actionable intelligence in any interrogation 
     scenario. To promote a return to that respected level of 
     professionalism, there must be a single well-defined standard 
     of conduct--consistent with our values as a nation--across 
     all U.S. agencies to govern the detention and interrogation 
     of people anywhere in U.S. custody.
       The amendment would ensure lawful, effective, and humane 
     interrogations of individuals taken into custody by requiring 
     all agencies and departments to comply with the time-tested 
     requirements of the Army Field Manual (``Human Intelligence 
     Collector Operations''). It would also require a review of 
     the Army Field Manual to ensure that best practices and the 
     most recent evidenced-based research on humane interrogation 
     are incorporated. It would also codify existing Department of 
     Defense (DOD) practice of guaranteeing timely notification 
     and access to the International Committee of the Red Cross 
     (ICRC) for detainees taken into custody--an important bulwark 
     against abuse.
       We strongly urge you to support this legislation to help 
     move our country forward and reaffirm that there is no 
     conflict between adhering to one of our nation's essential 
     and founding values--respect for inherent human dignity--and 
     our ability to obtain the intelligence we need to protect the 
     nation.
           Sincerely,
       Frank Anderson, CIA (Ret.); Donald Canestraro, DEA (Ret.); 
     Glenn Carle, CIA (Ret.); Jack Cloonan, CIA (Ret.); Barry 
     Eisler, Formerly CIA; Eric Fair, Formerly U.S. Army; Mark 
     Fallon, NCIS (Ret.); Charlton Howard, NCIS (Ret.); David 
     Irvine, Brigadier General, U.S. Army (Ret.); Timothy James, 
     NCIS (Ret.); Steve Kleinman, Colonel, USAFR (Ret.); Marcus 
     Lewis, Formerly U.S. Army; Brittain Mallow, Colonel, USA 
     (Ret.); Mike Marks, NCIS (Ret.); Robert McFadden, NCIS 
     (Ret.); Charles Mink, Formerly U.S. Army; Joe Navarro, FBI 
     (Ret.); Torin Nelson, Formerly U.S. Army; Carissa Pastuch, 
     Formerly U.S. Army; William Quinn, Formerly U.S. Army; Ken 
     Robinson, U.S. Army (Ret.); Rolince, Mike, FBI (Ret.); Ed 
     Soyster, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (Ret.).

  Mr. McCAIN. In a letter this month, the National Association of 
Evangelicals wrote the following in support of this amendment:

       While the use of torture is currently prohibited across all 
     government agencies by executive order, this fundamental 
     principle must be enshrined in law to ensure that no future 
     President may authorize the use of torture.

  Again, that is from the National Association of Evangelicals.
  The Committee on International Justice and Peace at the United States 
Conference of the Catholic Bishops wrote the following in support of 
the amendment:

       In Catholic teaching, torture is an intrinsic evil that 
     cannot be justified under any circumstances as it violates 
     the dignity of the human person, both victim and perpetrator, 
     and degrades any society that tolerates it. We urge all 
     Senators to support the McCain-Feinstein amendment that would 
     help to ensure that laws are enacted so that our government 
     does not engage in torture ever again.

  I respect the dedication and services of those charged with 
protecting this country. For 14 years, America's security professionals 
in the military, intelligence community, and beyond have lived every 
day with a dogged determination to protect their fellow Americans. But 
at the same time, we must continue to insist that the methods we employ 
in this fight for peace and freedom must always be as right and 
honorable as the goals and ideals we fight for.
  I believe past interrogation policies compromised our values, stained 
our national honor, and did little practical good. I don't believe we 
should have employed such practices in the past, and we should never 
permit them in the future. This amendment provides greater assurances 
that never again will the United States follow that dark path of 
sacrificing our values for our short-term security needs.
  I also know that such practices don't work. I know from personal 
experience that the abuse of prisoners does not produce good, reliable 
intelligence. Victims of torture will offer intentionally misleading 
information if they think their captors will believe it.
  I firmly believe that all people, even captured enemies, possess 
basic human rights which are protected by international standards often 
set by America's past leaders. Our enemies act without conscience. We 
must not. Let's reassert the contrary proposition that it is essential 
to our success in this war that we ask those who fight it for us to 
remember at all times that they are defending a sacred ideal of how 
nations should be governed and should remember this when they conduct 
their relations with others, even our enemies.
  Those of us who give them this duty are obliged by history, by our 
Nation's highest ideals and the many terrible sacrifices made to 
protect them, and by our respect for human dignity to make clear that 
we need not risk our national honor to prevail in this or any war. We 
need only remember in the worst of times, through the chaos and terror 
of war, when facing cruelty, suffering, and loss, that we are always 
Americans and different, stronger, and better than those who would 
destroy us.
  I yield the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I stand as a very proud cosponsor, along 
with Senator McCain and Senator Feinstein, on this amendment. I 
particularly wish to commend both Senator Feinstein and Senator McCain 
because they have really been the leaders in this Senate and in this 
country in expressing our fundamental values when

[[Page S4182]]

it comes to the techniques we employ for those we detain in combat 
zones. Both their words and personal example have set an extraordinary 
standard for us to respond to, and this amendment is typical of what 
they have done. It would codify the terms of President Obama's 
Executive order 13491 that applies to the Army Field Manual on 
interrogations not only for the U.S. military but also for the 
interrogation of detainees by other U.S. Government agencies.
  What I think is so critical to this debate, this amendment, and the 
service of these two Senators is that the humane treatment standard we 
set for those who are in our custody also serves to protect our men and 
women if they fall into the hands of our opponents. We then can say 
with complete sincerity and complete fidelity that we demand our troops 
receive humane treatment when in the custody of hostile forces because 
that is what we do. When we deviate from that standard, we imperil the 
safety and lives of our men and women in uniform who may fall into 
hostile hands.
  As we adhere to these standards, we are not only setting a very high 
bar for the treatment of those whom we may hold, but we are innately 
protecting the safety, health, welfare, and well-being of those who 
serve in the uniform of the United States, and for that reason in 
particular, I commend the sponsors of this amendment and urge all of my 
colleagues to support it.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I thank both Senator McCain and 
Senator Reed for their remarks. I particularly wish to thank Senator 
McCain, whose life experience, for me, has been a guidepost. I don't 
know anyone in this body who is more standup--and can sometimes be more 
stubborn, but this all comes into play as an important thing--and 
stands for the real, true, major issues this country faces.
  I will never forget a conversation I had with him on the plane back 
from Guantanamo. When he spoke in the Kennedy Caucus Room and used the 
tap language he learned as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and to see this 
man, so many years since that time, tap out messages that were meant 
for prison mates in other cells with such speed and alacrity certainly 
indicated that this was a very deep impression which was made on his 
life. I think the fact that he has shared that with others, including 
me, is very important.
  I want Senator McCain to know how much I appreciate his work on this 
and how grateful we are for his service to this country. He has unique 
courage and unique stamina, and maybe that is just all-American. Again, 
I thank the Senator from Arizona very much for his work, and the same 
for Senator Reed, the ranking member on this committee. Senator Reed is 
military-American through and through. Having his support has been 
terrific.
  Again, I thank both of them very much. It was a pleasure to work with 
both of my colleagues, and I hope this passes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I thank Senator Feinstein for her very 
kind words and her friendship and leadership. I hope that in return for 
all of this, she will send back all the water to Arizona that 
California has stolen from our State. My beloved former colleague, 
Senator Barry Goldwater, used to say that in Arizona, we had so little 
water that the trees chased the dogs, so we would like to get the water 
back from California, and I hope that can be part of the wonderful 
friendship we have enjoyed now for many years.
  I thank the Senator from California.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. President, I yield back all time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, all time is yielded back.
  Under the previous order, the question is on agreeing to amendment 
No. 1889, offered by the Senator from California, Mrs. Feinstein.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator 
from Florida (Mr. Rubio).
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 78, nays 21, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 209 Leg.]

                                YEAS--78

     Alexander
     Ayotte
     Baldwin
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Boozman
     Boxer
     Brown
     Burr
     Cantwell
     Capito
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Cassidy
     Collins
     Coons
     Corker
     Cruz
     Daines
     Donnelly
     Durbin
     Enzi
     Feinstein
     Flake
     Franken
     Gardner
     Gillibrand
     Grassley
     Heinrich
     Heitkamp
     Heller
     Hirono
     Hoeven
     Isakson
     Johnson
     Kaine
     King
     Kirk
     Klobuchar
     Leahy
     Manchin
     Markey
     McCain
     McCaskill
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Mikulski
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Murphy
     Murray
     Nelson
     Paul
     Perdue
     Peters
     Portman
     Reed
     Reid
     Rounds
     Sanders
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Shelby
     Stabenow
     Sullivan
     Tester
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Udall
     Warner
     Warren
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Wyden

                                NAYS--21

     Barrasso
     Blunt
     Coats
     Cochran
     Cornyn
     Cotton
     Crapo
     Ernst
     Fischer
     Graham
     Hatch
     Inhofe
     Lankford
     Lee
     McConnell
     Risch
     Roberts
     Sasse
     Scott
     Sessions
     Vitter

                             NOT VOTING--1

       
     Rubio
       
  The amendment (No. 1889) was agreed to.

[...]

[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 16, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4185-S4194]

[...]

                           Amendment No. 1889

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, this morning I voted against the 
Feinstein-McCain amendment No. 1889 because I believe it represents 
shortsighted national security policy.
  The central provision of this amendment would limit the interrogation 
of detainees by any U.S. Government employee or agent to techniques 
that are listed in the publicly available Army Field Manual on human 
intelligence collection (FM 2-22.3), essentially codifying a portion of 
Executive Order No. 13491, issued by President Obama on January 22, 
2009. Due to the wide public availability of this manual, this policy 
enables our enemies to study and dissect the methods we use to try to 
elicit sensitive information from them, giving them the opportunity to 
train against these techniques and prepare for them.
  Quite simply, the effect of this policy is to hand our entire 
interrogation playbook to groups such as the self-declared Islamic 
State of Iraq and the Levant, ``ISIL,'' Al Qaeda, and the Taliban, 
which is a profound mistake. Moreover, this limitation is unnecessary, 
because Congress has already taken action to prohibit interrogation or 
other treatment of detainees that is ``cruel, inhuman, or degrading 
treatment or punishment'' by enacting the Detainee Treatment Act of 
2005.
  In the past, other interrogation techniques that were not publicly 
disclosed to our enemies, known as enhanced interrogation techniques, 
proved their worth in numerous instances. In the wake of the terrorist 
attacks of September 11, 2001, these enhanced techniques were deemed 
necessary for use with certain hardened Al Qaeda leaders and operatives 
who possessed valuable intelligence that could save American lives, 
including knowledge of planned attacks against our Nation. There is 
strong evidence to believe that EITs, in desperate situations, helped 
protect our country from terrorist attacks. In addition, intelligence 
obtained through these interrogations helped locate Osama bin Laden and 
enabled the operation to kill or capture him in Abbottabad, Pakistan, 
on May 2, 2011. The Obama administration cannot deny that intelligence 
gleaned through the use of enhanced techniques played a role in 
tracking down bin Laden.
  In recent months, the threat of terrorism has been increasing in both 
intensity and complexity. The rise of the terrorist army of ISIL makes 
this a challenging time in the fight against terrorism. While it is 
clear that President Obama has no intention of authorizing the use of 
enhanced interrogation techniques while he is President, this amendment 
would unwisely and tightly restrict the tools available to future 
Presidents to protect this country. I cannot support such a policy.

[...]