•HRES 417 IH 
identity of any United States intelligence agent 
could give rise to criminal liability. 
(5) HOLD ACCOUNTABLE BUSH/CHENEY ADMIN-
ISTRATION OFFICIALS WHO PURSUED POLITICALLY 
MOTIVATED
PROSECUTIONS.—President 
Obama 
must cooperate fully with congressional efforts to re-
store faith in the American justice system by inves-
tigating and censuring any officials who engage in 
misconduct in Federal office. 
(6) ENSURE THAT ANY BUSH/CHENEY ADMINIS-
TRATION
OFFICIAL
GUILTY
OF
A
WAR
CRIME
IS 
PROSECUTED
UNDER
THE
WAR
CRIMES
ACT
AND 
THE ANTI-TORTURE ACT.—President Obama must 
cooperate fully with congressional efforts to repeal 
the redefinition of grave abuses of Common Article 
3 of the Geneva Conventions included in the Military 
Commissions Act of 2006, which limits the scope of 
the original War Crimes Act and makes this repeal 
retroactively operable to the beginning of the inva-
sion of Iraq. President Obama must also cooperate 
fully with congressional investigations into the lack 
of prosecutions under the War Crimes Act and the 
Federal Anti-Torture Act despite countless allega-
tions of serious violations. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
06:58 May 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR417.IH
HR417
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
•HRES 417 IH 
(7) AFFIRM
THAT
IT
IS
THE
SOLE
LEGAL 
RIGHT OF CONGRESS TO DECLARE WAR.—President 
Obama must cooperate fully with congressional ef-
forts to tighten the standards for when a declaration 
of war is required for military action. 
(8) CRIMINALIZE LYING TO CONGRESS AND THE 
AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT THE REASONS FOR GOING 
TO
WAR.—President Obama must cooperate fully 
with congressional efforts to strengthen Federal per-
jury laws to prohibit the issuance of false state-
ments, concealment, or false documentation in any 
matter related to a presidential request for a dec-
laration of war. 
(9) RESTORE THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS AS 
AN ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLE OF OUR DEMOCRACY.— 
President Obama must reaffirm our Nation’s treaty 
obligations under the Geneva Conventions and en-
sure all individuals held by the United States have 
access to the courts to petition for a writ of habeas 
corpus. 
(10) ENSURE TORTURE IS UNIFORMLY PROHIB-
ITED UNDER UNITED STATES LAW.—While recog-
nizing that President Obama has taken important 
steps in asserting his position that torture is anti-
thetical to American values, he must cooperate fully 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
06:58 May 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR417.IH
HR417
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
•HRES 417 IH 
with congressional efforts to codify strong anti-tor-
ture language and approve uniform standards for in-
terrogation techniques applicable to individuals 
under control or custody of the United States Gov-
ernment. 
(11) ENSURE RENDITION IS UNIFORMLY PRO-
HIBITED UNDER UNITED STATES LAW.—President 
Obama must cooperate fully with congressional ef-
forts to outlaw torture ‘‘outsourcing’’ by prohibiting 
the direct or indirect transfer or return of persons 
by the U.S. for the purpose of detention, interroga-
tion, trial, or otherwise to a country listed by the 
Secretary of State as supporting torture, cruel, or 
degrading treatment used in detention or interroga-
tion of individuals. 
(12) RESPONSIBLY CLOSE THE GUANTANAMO 
BAY
DETENTION
CAMP.—While President Obama 
has boldly declared his intention to close Guanta-
namo by January 2010, he must do everything in 
his power to ensure that all suspected terrorists held 
at Guantanamo are immediately tried in fair judicial 
proceedings and are not subjected to trial by secret 
evidence. He must also engage the international 
community to swiftly ensure the release of innocent 
detainees, including the Chinese Uighurs. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
06:58 May 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR417.IH
HR417
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
•HRES 417 IH 
(13) ENSURE
THAT
AMERICANS
CAN
BRING 
CLAIMS
AGAINST
THEIR
GOVERNMENT.—President 
Obama must guarantee that the state secrets privi-
lege shall not constitute grounds for dismissal of a 
case or claim and instead require independent judi-
cial review of claims of state secrets privilege by ex-
ecutive branch officials. 
(14) IMMEDIATELY TAKE AFFIRMATIVE STEPS 
TO
PROTECT
ALL
BUSH/CHENEY
ADMINISTRATION 
DOCUMENTS.—President Obama must publicly reaf-
firm that the Office of the Vice President is part of 
the executive branch. 
(15) PUBLICLY REVIEW POTENTIAL ABUSES OF 
THE
PRESIDENTIAL
PARDON
PROCESS.—President 
Obama must collaborate fully with Congress to in-
vestigate the granting of presidential pardons and 
articulate comprehensive standards to guide future 
presidential pardons. 
(16) FURTHER REFORM THE USE OF PRESI-
DENTIAL
SIGNING
STATEMENTS.—While President 
Obama has affirmed his intention to issue signing 
statements sparingly and with a high degree of 
transparency, he must commit to providing all sign-
ing statements for publication, affirm Congress’ 
right to participate in court proceedings regarding 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
06:58 May 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR417.IH
HR417
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
•HRES 417 IH 
the constitutionality of any presidential signing 
statements, and ensure that Congress can obtain 
testimony from administration officials who may at-
tempt to claim executive privilege to explain or jus-
tify any signing statements. 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
06:58 May 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR417.IH
HR417
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS