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H.Res. 640: Of inquiry requesting that the Secretary of Defense transmit to the House of Representatives before the expiration of the 14-day period beginning on the date of the adoption of this resolution any picture, photograph, video, communication, or report produced in conjunction with any completed Department of Defense investigation conducted by Major General Antonio M. Taguba relating to allegations of torture or allegations of violations of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq or any completed Department of Defense investigation relating to the abuse or alleged abuse of a prisoner of war or detainee by any civilian contractor working in Iraq who is employed on behalf of the Department of Defense.

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H.Res. 640: Of inquiry requesting that the Secretary of Defense transmit to the House of Representatives before the expiration of the 14-day period beginning on the date of the adoption of this resolution any picture, photograph, video, communication, or report produced in conjunction with any completed Department of Defense investigation conducted by Major General Antonio M. Taguba relating to allegations of torture or allegations of violations of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq or any completed Department of Defense investigation relating to the abuse or alleged abuse of a prisoner of war or detainee by any civilian contractor working in Iraq who is employed on behalf of the Department of Defense.

108th Congress · introduced 2004-05-12 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Placed on the House Calendar, Calendar No. 188.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2004-05-12 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Bell, Chris [D-TX-25] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Placed on the House Calendar, Calendar No. 188. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Of inquiry requesting that the Secretary of Defense transmit to the House of Representatives before the expiration of the 14-day period beginning on the date of the adoption of this resolution any picture, photograph, video, communication, or report produced in conjunction with any completed Department of Defense investigation conducted by Major General Antonio M. Taguba relating to allegations of torture or allegations of violations of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq or any completed Department of Defense investigation relating to the abuse or alleged abuse of a prisoner of war or detainee by any civilian contractor working in Iraq who is employed on behalf of the Department of Defense.

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Requests that the Secretary of Defense transmit to the House of Representatives any picture, photograph, video, communication, or report produced in conjunction with any completed Department of Defense (DOD) investigation: (1) conducted by Major General Antonio M. Taguba and relating to allegations of torture or allegations of violations of the Geneva Convention at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq; or (2) relating to the abuse or alleged abuse of prisoners of war or detainees by civilian contractors employed in Iraq on behalf of the DOD.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Of inquiry requesting that the Secretary of Defense transmit to the House of Representatives before the expiration of the 14-day period beginning on the date of the adoption of this resolution any picture, photograph, video, communication, or report produced in conjunction with any completed Department of Defense investigation conducted by Major General Antonio M. Taguba relating to allegations of torture or allegations of violations of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq or any completed Department of Defense investigation relating to the abuse or alleged abuse of a prisoner of war or detainee by any civilian contractor working in Iraq who is employed on behalf of the Department of Defense.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House without amendment)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Bell, Chris [D-TX-25] · 40 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT)

Agencies named in this bill

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Resolution
A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote
A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong108-hres640 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108