I hope that you will vote against HR 2892, the conference committee report of
the Homeland Security Appropriations bill.  This bill includes a provision that
would allow the president to authorise the Secretary of Defence to bar the
release of photographs of prisoners -- effectively exempting from the Freedom
of Information Act all photographs of the United States' torture and abuse of
its prisoners.  The Bush government's endorsement of torture undermined the
United States' moral authority and compromised its security.  If the Obama
government refuses to confront these abuses by the Bush government, the harm
will only be compounded.

In addition, HR 2892 contains provisions that would fund the REAL ID Act.  The
REAL ID Act does not represent the will of the people, or even the explicit
will of Congress.  It became law only because it was attached to a must-pass
supplemental appropriations bill.  Its requirements for data standardisation
and data sharing lay the groundwork for a national identification card that
will become required for travel by air, rail or road, much like the internal
passports issued by the old Soviet Union.  By tying all of an individual's
records to a single document, REAL ID would facilitate identity theft.  The
most effective way to stop REAL ID at this stage is by not funding it.

For both these reasons, I hope that you'll vote against the conference report
of HR 2892 when it comes to the floor.