John Chenoweth: “Mr. Speaker, it is with a fair degree of hesitation that I rise in opposition to this bill, not that I am not fully…”

“Mr. Speaker, it is with a fair degree of hesitation that I rise in opposition to this bill, not that I am not fully committed in my opposition to this bill, but because of my deep and abiding respect for the chairman, the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Hyde]. However, Mr. Speaker, this bill I feel does not just affect habeas corpus procedures for death row inmates, but it actually affects all of our rights to protections under the Constitution, that which habeas corpus has afforded. The rights to speak and assemble freely, to be ensured of due process of law, and to be protected against false imprisonment belong to all Americans. We cannot allow ourselves to be frightened into giving up these freedoms. As Thomas Payne said in 1795, and true as ever today, he says: "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression." This law abridges some of our very precious freedoms. Right now we have at least 353 Federal entities who already have police powers to enforce these kinds of laws.”