Graham, Lieberman threaten Senate shut down over abuse photo bill
By Raw Story
In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-C.T.) threatened to shut down the Senate by blocking any further legislation unless their bill preventing the release of any further detainee abuse photos is passed.
Both men said they fear more disclosure would trigger heightened violence against Americans overseas.
“Both Senators said they were alarmed that a House-Senate conference committee on the supplemental war spending bill appears poised to eliminate language — inserted by the two Senators — that would block public disclosure of detainee abuse photos,” reported Roll Call. “The $90-billion-plus bill has been held up, in part, because House Democratic leaders have said they do not have the votes to pass it with the detainee photo provision included, because many liberal lawmakers have balked at the language.”
Politico’s Glenn Thrush noted: “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who initially said she’d support the amendment, which was also pushed by Connecticut Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, now thinks it’s ‘likely’ the measure will be stripped in a conference committee.”
“The question over the release of the photos is one of two key issues that is jamming up final consideration of a major, emergency spending bill to fund the war in Iraq, efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan and prepare for the H1N1 flu,” reported Fox.
Huffington Post reported Monday night: “People can’t believe that this is a reality, a possible reality that the detainee photos amendment will be taken out of the bill,” Graham said, shortly before The Huffington Post confirmed that it was. He and Lieberman are determined to vote against the war supplemental without the photos amendment. “And,” he said “I think we’ll carry a lot of people with us.”
The Congressional war supplemental also contains a $108 billion infusion for the International Monetary Fund, which would act like a credit line for the IMF in case member countries need emergency loans that exceed the institution’s resources. As such, the money is not considered an immediate budget expense.
With AFP.
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