Political Quotes

“Madam President, I view the detention provisions of this bill as real pernicious, as an attack on the Executive power of the President, and contrary to the best interests of this Nation. So I rise to express my strong opposition to three specific detention provisions in the Defense authorization bill. There was some discussion on the Senate floor that the Intelligence Committee had reviewed these. This is not true. I would like to read a letter that I sent to the majority leader that was signed by every Democratic member of the Intelligence Committee on October 21. We write as members of the Senate Judiciary Committee-- Because there were some Judiciary Committee members on this. and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, to express our grave concern with subtitle D, titled Defense Matters of title 10 of S. 1253, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. We support the majority of provisions in the bill which further national security and are of great importance. But we cannot support these controversial detention positions. Then we go on to say--and I will not read the whole letter. I will put the whole letter in the Record. The executive branch must have the flexibility to consider various options for handling terrorism cases, including the ability to prosecute terrorists for violations of U.S. law in Federal criminal court. Yet, taken together, sections 1031 and 1032 of subtitle (d) are unprecedented and require more rigorous scrutiny by Congress.…”