Political Quotes

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.…
Said by
Ron Wyden
Democratic · Oregon
Source
govinfo.gov
Jan 24, 2025

Share

More from Ron Wyden

Aug 11, 2026

The Republicans’ health care scheme in their so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” is importing the worst practices of for-profit health insurance programs into Medicare and Medicaid.

wyden.senate.gov
Aug 7, 2026

When you lose your home in a wildfire, the last thing you should be worried about is being hit by a massive tax bill.

wyden.senate.gov
Aug 18, 2026

extremely dangerous to give Trump massive new tariff powers, particularly after we've seen the disastrous impacts of his corrupt, chaotic, and inflationary tariff spree,"

reason.com
Jul 31, 2026

I'm gratified the work to secure the end of this needless confusion for these hardworking Oregonians is in the bill.

wyden.senate.gov

Other voices in this conversation