On the recordJanuary 24, 2025
a number of serious and concerning issues were raised in Pete Hegseth's nomination hearing last week; and in the Hegseth nomination hearing last week, there were a number of important issues. And I would like to speak to one that is central to both America's national security and American values: the principle that every American has the right to know when their government believes that it is allowed to kill them. Now I don't believe this ought to be a controversial matter. My constituents don't believe it should be a controversial matter. The Bill of Rights says: No one shall be deprived of life . . . without due process of law. Government officials have, in my view, a basic obligation to explain any rules that allow them to ever kill an American citizen. And on this, the nominee to serve as Defense Secretary has simply flunked the test. His refusal to answer basic questions before the Senate Committee on Armed Services ought to trouble every single American. Now, I want to focus on that fundamental question concerning the government's power to kill Americans and why Americans have to keep fighting--and Senators--for transparency. Over a decade ago, the Obama administration took the position that their analysis of the President's legal authority to deliberately kill Americans was secret, and they refused to share that. As I said at the time, I believe that position was just unacceptable.…





