Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in strong support of the Smith-Gibson amendment. When we considered the fiscal year 2012 version of this bill, I argued in opposition to sections 1021 and 1022. I argued then--and I still believe now--that these provisions go far beyond the AUMF to suggest that the President has the authority to detain even U.S. citizens without charge indefinitely. The AUMF gives the President no such authority. Clearly, we must roll back these provisions. The Smith-Gibson amendment prohibits the detention without charge of any person arrested or detained in the United States, and it is the first step towards restoring the due process of law. It is a good first step, but the scope is limited to U.S. soil and to the present AUMF. We should do more. That's why I've introduced the No Detention Without Charge Act, which would apply to all persons in U.S. custody--at home and overseas--and to all Authorizations to Use Military Force--present and future. It not only prohibits detention without charge of people arrested in the United States, but it also prohibits the detention of any person anywhere, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution and the law of war, and it restores a meaningful right of action for detainees to challenge the legality of the detentions. The notion that the United States ought to conduct itself according to the Constitution and the law of war should not be controversial.…”