An overwhelming majority in the Senate, including 21 Republicans, voted for an amendment creating stricter laws against torture on Tuesday.
John McCain, who authored the amendment, told The Hill, “We must continue to insist that the methods we employ in this fight for peace and freedom must always, always, be as right and honorable as the goals and ideals we fight for.”
“Our enemies act without conscience. We must not,” he said.
The amendment, attached to the National Defense Authorization Act, restricts interrogation techniques to those specifically listed in the Army Field Manual. It then mandates that the manual be updated every three years.
Although torture has long been technically banned, this amendment is designed to make it more difficult for officials to justify questionable tactics like those used under the Bush administration.
Those tactics were thrown back into the limelight by the Senate’s in-depth report on CIA torture techniques, released late last year.
Rand Paul and Ted Cruz both voted for the amendment, while Lindsey Graham voted against. Marco Rubio did not cast a vote.
“I know from personal experience that abuse of prisoners does not provide good, reliable intelligence,” said McCain. “I firmly believe that all people, even captured enemies, are protected by basic human rights.”
