Janice Schakowsky: “Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the C National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012.…”

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the C National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this bill because it fails to rein in our out of control defense spending, it includes over $115 billion in war funding, and, most of all, because it codifies dangerous detainee provisions that are at odds with the U.S. constitution. At a time when we are discussing drastic cuts to domestic spending programs critical to millions of Americans, this bill provides a whopping $670 billion in Pentagon spending--that's almost as much as the rest of the world, combined, spends on defense. We can reduce our defense spending without jeopardizing our national security, yet this bill continues what former Secretary Gates termed the ``gusher'' of defense funding. In addition, this legislation codifies indefinite detention without charge or trial in military custody for foreign Al Qaeda terrorists suspected of involvement in attacks on the U.S. It also blocks the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the U.S., even for trial. It severely restricts the transfer of detainees to third countries. Most disturbingly, the bill does not guarantee suspected terrorists a trial, even if they are U.S. citizens arrested within the United States, leaving open the possibility of indefinite detention. Passing this legislation throws fundamental rights of American citizens into serious jeopardy. These provisions are both dangerous and unnecessary.…”