Political Quotes

“the concerns that some of us have had is that the amendment that was passed by the House would open up the possibility for the military to be empowered to act as a domestic police force and would be a clear invitation to put the Posse Comitatus Act at risk. The American constitutional experience has required the separation of the military from domestic police authority. Countries where the military has the power to act as a domestic police force include dictatorships and totalitarian regimes. I think many of us believe the Federal military is no substitute for civilian police authority. Now, notwithstanding that the underlying bill contains language reaffirming the posse comitatus, I think many of us in this Chamber are familiar with statements by some high-ranking administration officials indicating a strong interest in employing the military in a domestic police force setting. So that is what causes our concern to arise here and why we bring this matter to the House.”