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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 617 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 617

   Providing for authority to initiate litigation for actions by the 
 President or other executive branch officials inconsistent with their 
duties under the Constitution of the United States with respect to the 
   unlawful transfer of individuals detained at United States Naval 
                     Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 23, 2016

Mr. Duncan of South Carolina submitted the following resolution; which 
    was referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the 
  Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Providing for authority to initiate litigation for actions by the 
 President or other executive branch officials inconsistent with their 
duties under the Constitution of the United States with respect to the 
   unlawful transfer of individuals detained at United States Naval 
                     Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

    Resolved, That the Speaker is authorized to initiate or intervene 
in one or more civil actions on behalf of the House of Representatives 
in a Federal court of competent jurisdiction to seek any appropriate 
relief regarding the failure of the President, the head of any 
department or agency, or any other officer or employee of the executive 
branch, to act in a manner consistent with that official's duties under 
the Constitution and laws of the United States with respect to the 
transfer of any individual detained at Guantanamo (as such term is 
defined in section 1034(f)(2) of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92)) in violation of section 1031, 
1033, or 1034 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2016 (Public Law 114-92) or of an appropriations Act. The phrase 
``appropriate relief'' includes but is not limited to all forms of 
equitable relief, including a declaratory judgment action to determine 
the meaning of laws and whether they are being obeyed or disobeyed, and 
a writ of mandamus, temporary restraining order, preliminary 
injunction, permanent injunction, and such other relief as is necessary 
to compel obedience to law.
    Sec. 2.  The Speaker shall notify the House of Representatives of a 
decision to initiate or intervene in any civil action pursuant to this 
resolution.
    Sec. 3. (a) The Office of the General Counsel of the House of 
Representatives, at the direction of the Speaker, shall represent the 
House in any civil action initiated, or in which the House intervenes, 
pursuant to this resolution, and may employ the services of outside 
counsel and other experts for this purpose.
    (b) The chair of the Committee on House Administration shall cause 
to be printed in the Congressional Record a statement setting forth the 
aggregate amounts expended by the Office of General Counsel on outside 
counsel and other experts pursuant to subsection (a) on a quarterly 
basis. Such statement shall be submitted for printing not more than 30 
days after the expiration of each such period.
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