William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry: “this amendment prohibits under all circumstances a contractor from interrogating a detainee. Now, it is often the case…”

“this amendment prohibits under all circumstances a contractor from interrogating a detainee. Now, it is often the case that the most qualified and the most experienced person to conduct an interrogation is a contract employee. As the gentleman from North Carolina mentioned, there is an exception for interpreters. But an interrogator who also speaks the language and even the dialect can be a much more effective interrogator if he can combine those skills. Yet that capability cannot be combined under this amendment unless that person happens to work for the government. There are situations where technical knowledge is essential to conduct an interrogation, and often that technical knowledge does not exist with government employees. So there is no choice under this amendment. That interrogation simply cannot be conducted in the most effective way. Madam Chairman, there are folks who have conducted interrogations for years. They are experienced. They know what they are doing. But they have to retire from the military. That person can no longer be hired to do the job. There are folks who don't want to be government employees all year-round, for whatever reason. They may want to just go work 3 or 6 months. But they know what they are doing. They may work for the FBI. They may work for the police department the rest of the time. That person cannot be an interrogator.…”