I am outraged that a House member has tried through this provision to breach the traditional confidentiality of individual Americans' tax returns. There is no reason for this measure, and this last-minute act violates all principles of judgment and common sense.

Warner's "compromise" (approved by a Republican majority) authorized the President to establish permissible interrogation techniques and to "interpret the meaning and application" of international Geneva Convention standards so long as the coercion falls short of "serious" bodily or psychological injury. He is a veteran of World War II and one of only five serving in the Senate at the time of his retirement. He was in the Senate until January 3 2009.

He did not seek reelection in 2008 and has rejoined the law firm of Hogan Lovells where he worked before joining the United States Department of Defense. John William Warner (born February 18 1927) is an American Republican politician who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Senator from Virginia from January 2 1979 to January 3 2009. Warner was also the sixth husband to actress Elizabeth Taylor whom he married before being elected to the Senate.