http://culberson.house.gov/

Contact: Press Secretary Mollie Schall
Phone: 713-682-8828
Date: 01/19/09

Culberson Statement on Ramos & Compean Commutation


***BREAKING NEWS***

January 19, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Culberson issued the following statement regarding President Bush’s commuting the sentences of Border Agents Ramos and Compean:

“I am thrilled that President George W. Bush took the opportunity, on his last full day in office, to commute the sentences of wrongly imprisoned Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. This long overdue commutation is a blessing to the agents and their families, and it will instantly improve the morale of our Border Patrol, which will help make our nation more secure. Their sentences will now expire on March 20, and these men will finally be released from prison and return home to their loving families.

“Last Thursday I secured the signatures of 29 (all but three) Texas Representatives, two former Representatives and both of our Texas Senators on a letter to the President Bush requesting that he commute the sentences of Agents Ramos and Compean. I hand-delivered the letter to the White House on Thursday night to ensure the President would see it before he left office. Today is a great day for Texans and people from across the country who sought justice for Ramos and Compean. Their appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals was rejected in September, so a presidential commutation was their best and most timely option. With this one act, President Bush has done more to restore his popularity than anything else he could have done and he showed once again that he is a man of character and integrity.â€