This is to important, repost, email most importantly
call, write, email your representative NOW! RE: HR 3835

Ron Paul Introduces Bill to Restore the Constitution

 This week Ron Paul introduced the
 ‘American Freedom Agenda Act of 2007′
 to roll back the power of the federal government
 by restoring support for the US Constitution.

 The bill would, among other things, repeal the Military
 Commissions Act of 2006, prohibits “extraordinary rendition,”
 and the use of secret evidence.


Ron Paul spoke on the floor of the House
when he introduced the bill.



The driving force behind the legislation are two groups:
the conservative American Freedom Agenda and
the liberal American Freedom Campaign.
 

 Urge everyone to contact their representatives
 to support this bill.




  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
       OCTOBER 15, 2007

 Mr. PAUL introduced the following bill;
 which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary,
 and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services,
Foreign Affairs, and Select Intelligence.

 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.

       HR 3835

    A BILL,
  To restore the Constitution’s checks and balances and
 protections against government abuses as envisioned by
 the Founding Fathers.


 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,


          SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the
  ‘‘American Freedom Agenda Act of 2007’’.



        SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings:

 (1) Unchecked power by any branch leads to
     oppressive transgressions on individual freedoms and
     ill-considered government policies.

 (2) The Founding Fathers enshrined checks
     and balances in the Constitution to protect against
     government abuses to derail ill-conceived domestic or
     foreign endeavors.

 (3) Checks and balances make the Nation safer
     by preventing abuses that would be exploited by Al
     Qaeda to boost terrorist recruitment, would deter
     foreign governments from cooperating in defeating
     international terrorism, and would make the American
     people reluctant to support aggressive counter
     terrorism measures.

 (4) Checks and balances have withered since 9/11
     and an alarming concentration of power has been
     accumulated in the presidency based on hyper-inflated
     fears of international terrorism and a desire
     permanently to alter the equilibrium of power between
     the three branches of government.

 (5) The unprecedented constitutional powers
     claimed by the President since 9/11 subtracted national
     security and have been asserted for non-national security
     purposes.

 (6) Experience demonstrates that global terrorism
     can be thwarted, deterred, and punished
     through muscular application of law enforcement
     measures and prosecutions in Federal civilian courts
     in lieu of military commissions or military law.

 (7) Congressional oversight of the executive
     branch is necessary to prevent secret government,
     which undermines self-government and invites lawlessness
     and maladministration.

 (8) The post-9/11 challenges to checks and balances
     are unique in the Nation’s history because the
     war on global terrorism has no discernible end.



 (b) PURPOSE.—The American Freedom Agenda Act
     of 2007 is intended to restore the Constitution’s checks
     and balances and protections against government abuses
     as envisioned by the Founding Fathers.




 SEC. 3. MILITARY COMMISSIONS; ENEMY COMBATANTS;
              HABEAS CORPUS.


 (a) The Military Commissions Act of 2006 is hereby repealed.

 (b) The President is authorized to establish military
     commissions for the trial of war crimes only in places of
     active hostilities against the United States where an
      immediate trial is necessary to preserve fresh evidence
     or to prevent local anarchy.

 (c) The President is prohibited from detaining any
     individual indefinitely as an unlawful enemy combatant
     absent proof by substantial evidence that the individual
     has directly engaged in active hostilities against the
     United States, provided that no United States citizen shall
     be detained as an unlawful enemy combatant.

 (d) Any individual detained as an enemy combatant
     by the United States shall be entitled to petition for
     a writ of habeas corpus under section 2241 of title 28,
     United States Code.



 SEC. 4. TORTURE OR COERCED CONFESSIONS.

 No civilian or military tribunal of the United States
 shall admit as evidence statements extracted from the
 defendant by torture or coercion.



 SEC. 5. INTELLIGENCE GATHERING.

    No Federal agency shall gather foreign intelligence
 in contravention of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
 Act (50 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). The President’s constitutional
 power to gather foreign intelligence is subordinated
 to this provision.



 SEC. 6. PRESIDENTIAL SIGNING STATEMENTS.

    The House of Representatives and Senate collectively
 shall enjoy standing to file a declaratory judgment action
 in an appropriate Federal district court to challenge the
 constitutionality of a presidential signing statement that
 declares the President’s intent to disregard provisions of
 a bill he has signed into law because he believes they are
 unconstitutional.



 SEC. 7. KIDNAPPING, DETENTIONS,
             AND TORTURE ABROAD.

    No officer or agent of the United States shall kidnap,
 imprison, or torture any person abroad based solely on the
 President’s belief that the subject of the kidnapping,
 imprisonment, or torture is a criminal or enemy combatant;
 provided that kidnapping shall be permitted if undertaken
 with the intent of bringing the kidnapped person for
 prosecution or interrogation to gather intelligence before
 a tribunal that meets international standards of fairness
 and due process. A knowing violation of this section shall
 be punished as a felony punishable by a fine or imprisonment
 of up to 2 years.



 SEC. 8. JOURNALIST EXCEPTION TO ESPIONAGE ACT.

    Nothing in the Espionage Act of 1917 shall prohibit
 a journalist from publishing information received from the
 executive branch or Congress unless the publication would
 cause direct, immediate, and irreparable harm to the national
 security of the United States.



 SEC. 9. USE OF SECRET EVIDENCE TO MAKE FOREIGN
         TERRORIST DESIGNATIONS.

    Notwithstanding any other law, secret evidence shall
 not be used by the President or any other member of the
 executive branch to designate an individual or organization
 with a United States presence as a foreign terrorist
 or foreign terrorist organization for purposes of the criminal
 law or otherwise imposing criminal or civil sanctions


 Again, Urge everyone to contact their representatives to support this bill.

 Your country needs you now more than ever.

Ref @.... http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2007/10/20/
ron-paul-introduces-bill-to-restore-the-constitution/


Extra credit,
   A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon
 devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive
 of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider
 God-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less
 easily move against him, wrongly believing that he has
 the Gods on his side.

         Aristotle