Political Quotes

“regrettably, the record doesn't meet the issue before us. Waterboarding is not an issue here. Waterboarding is not banned. The techniques that are being used are in compliance with all of the convention. They are not torture, cruel, or humanly degrading. The only reason to have a separate program, which Congress recognized in the 2005 Military Detainee Act, for having a different standard was for a few high-value targets who needed different techniques--not more harsh techniques but techniques that are less severe than the training techniques we put our enlisted Marines, SEALs, Special Forces, and the pilots through. If they are not published in the Army Field Manual, they don't know about them, and that leads them to cooperate. The most successful intelligence collection program that the CIA has does not involve torture or any kind of unlawful conduct. It is unfortunate--and I regret to say very harmful--to the United States to suggest that it does. I strongly believe we cannot afford to shut down the CIA's interrogation of high-value detainees. I yield the floor.”