Hank Johnson: “Thank you. That's why the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the FBI, the Director of the CIA, the head…”

“Thank you. That's why the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the FBI, the Director of the CIA, the head of the Justice Department's National Security division, and the Secretary of Defense himself oppose this provision. More than 400 terrorists have been convicted in our civilian courts. Only a handful of cases have been brought before military tribunals, and not all of them have been successful. If it ain't broke, ladies and gentlemen, don't fix it. Terrorism is a crime, and our law enforcement authorities, our prosecutors, our judges are more than up to the task. This bill ties the hands of law enforcement, militarizes counterterrorism on our own soil, and makes us less safe. Mr. Speaker, our constituents sent us here to provide for the common defense, yes, but they also sent us here to safeguard their liberty. So I ask my colleagues to think long and hard about this vote, and I ask the staffers watching this on C-SPAN to think long and hard before making their recommendations. Reject indefinite detention, empower civilian law enforcement, and defend the Constitution. Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Missouri, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Protection Forces and a member of the conference committee, Mr. Akin.”