Senate Passes Bill with Ban on WaterboardingSo now it’s on to that veto. The Senate just narrowly passed the intelligence authorization bill, which contained a provision that would effectively ban the CIA’s use of waterboarding and other “enhanced interrogation” techniques forbidden by the Army Field Manual.
The final vote was rather close — 51-45, with a few Republicans crossing over to make the difference. There were a couple remarkable “no” votes, though, from senators who’ve vocally opposed the use of waterboarding. Both Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who’s vocally opposed the use of waterboarding, and Arlen Specter (R-PA) voted against. We’ve inquired why and we’ll let you know what we find out.
Update: Here’s the tally.