WASHINGTON, June 28, 2004 – LAWFUEL – House Democratic Leader …

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2004 – LAWFUEL – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
released the following statement today on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions
upholding the rule of law in the cases involving American-born detainee Yaser
Esam Hamdi and the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba:

“The Supreme Court’s decisions in the Hamdi case and the case involving
the Guantanamo detainees are triumphs for the rule of law. The notion that
the President has the unchallengeable authority to define the circumstances of
a person’s detention, especially that of a United States citizen, is contrary
to our nation’s history and experience.

“The right to counsel and the right to contest government actions in court
are among our most cherished liberties. We cannot, and we must not, allow our
civil liberties contained in the Constitution to become a casualty in the war
on terrorism.

“The Supreme Court’s decisions today are a timely reminder of the constant
need to evaluate actions taken in the name of national security, no matter how
well-intentioned those actions may be.”