Barbara Lee: “I thank Mr. Amash for yielding me time and for his leadership on this issue. Let me also thank Chairman Smith for his…”

“I thank Mr. Amash for yielding me time and for his leadership on this issue. Let me also thank Chairman Smith for his tremendous leadership of the committee and for working with us on this critical amendment, as well as so many other amendments in this bill. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Amash-Lee amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. This amendment guarantees that persons arrested on U.S. soil under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force or provisions under the 2012 NDAA will receive the due process that they deserve, as required by the Constitution. The 2012 NDAA codified worldwide detention authority that, as the ACLU said at the time, ``violates the Constitution and international law because it is not limited to people captured in an actual armed conflict, as required by the laws of war.'' The Amash-Lee amendment would remedy that by repealing that provision and ensuring that we remain consistent with our fundamental values. Mr. Chairman, we should have no doubts that our Federal criminal courts can handle international terrorism cases, and indeed they have. The Department of Justice has charged, tried, and convicted more than 200 defendants for international terrorism crimes in these very Federal courts. That is why I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this critical amendment. I, again, want to thank Representative Amash and Chairman Smith for their leadership on this issue.”