On the recordNovember 17, 2011
I don't know--I now have the floor, so I will proceed. First, let me thank the Senator from Arizona. We have served together in the House and in the Senate. I respect him very much. I certainly have the highest respect, as well, for the Senator from Michigan. But I will tell my colleagues this: If the argument is, if we don't vote on this amendment tonight the security of the United States is in peril, that is a little hard to make because we are not going to finish this bill tonight, No. 1. No. 2, it is pretty clear the administration opposes this particular amendment, at least I have been told they do. No. 3, if we are talking about something as fundamental as changing some laws in this country relative to the U.S. Constitution, I have to agree with Senator Leahy, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Senator Feinstein, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, that this great body should take the time, debate the issue, and vote on it in a timely fashion. I am not here to filibuster this matter, but I am here to discuss it. To those who have come to the floor and said it is imperative to move now to change the way we deal with terrorist detainees in the United States, I would like to make a record for them. For the record, over the last 10 years we have dealt with alleged terrorists in the United States.…





