On the recordMay 17, 2012
In the absence of transparency and accountability for the drones program abroad, overreach is unchecked. The administration refuses to release the legal justification for permitting so-called ``signature drone strikes.'' The administration refuses to disclose whether and how there's any follow-up with the families of innocent civilians who died from a drone strike. The administration refuses to disclose whether civilian casualties are collected, tracked, and analyzed. Our amendment, the Conyers-Kucinich amendment, recognizes that innocent civilians should not be collateral damage. It recognizes that sending an unmanned plane to drop bombs without knowing the identity of a target does not reflect American values. It recognizes that drones bombing people of unknown identity will generate powerful and enduring anti-American sentiment that prolongs and expands wars. It recognizes that Congress did not give the President an unlimited and unchecked power to expand our wars abroad, especially when it does not even bother to give Congress the legal justification to do so. It became clear that the authorization for the use of military force is being interpreted, given carte blanche to circumvent Congress, and we ought to put an end to it right now. I yield back the balance of my time.
