Dems abandon CIA ban on "degrading" treatment

The House Democratic leadership stopped a vote Thursday night on the $50 billion classified intelligence budget after Republicans mounted a campaign against one of its provisions to ban degrading treatment of detainees and some moderate Democrats indicated they would not vote for the bill…

Rep. Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said the amendment was far too vague, noting, “If a woman interviews a Muslim without a head covering, is that blasphemy?”

On the House floor, intelligence committee Chairman Rep. Silvestre Reyes, Texas Democrat, said the amendment was only codifying what Mr. Obama already outlawed in his first executive orders after he took office in January 2009.

His spokeswoman, Ms. Littig, said, “At the end of the day this chairman believes this vote on the amendment is a vote of conscience.”