Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I appreciate the hard work of the chairman, Senator Levin, and the ranking member, Senator McCain, on the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act conference agreement this whole year. They have crafted reasonable, responsible compromises in many areas of defense policy. I appreciate that the conferees were able to begin rebalancing our force even as we continue to wind down our presence in Afghanistan. The men and women in uniform, as well as their families, appreciate that even in this tough fiscal environment the bill would authorize a 1.7 percent across-the-board pay raise. I also want to acknowledge that Conferees retained my amendment implementing visa bans and asset freezes against those supporting the M23 rebels in Congo. But there are also several deeply troubling provisions that I must point out. The first issue goes to fundamental questions about basic constitutional protections. Last year I voted against the Defense Authorization bill because the bill included several troubling provisions relating to the treatment and custody of detainees. These provisions make it harder for the government to fight terrorism and are inconsistent with America's commitment to our Constitution and fundamental human rights. This legislation--for the first time in American history--requires the military to take custody of detainees in the United States. FBI Director Robert Mueller strongly objected to this military custody requirement.…”