Political Quotes

“earlier this week, one of this bill's lead sponsors said here on the floor of the United States Senate that the bill's detention subtitle would authorize the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens at Guantanamo Bay. That is a stunning statement. We should all pause to consider the ramifications of passing a bill containing such language. Supporters of the detention provisions in the bill continue to argue that such measures are needed because, they claim, ``we are a nation at war.'' That does not mean that we should be a Nation without laws, or a Nation that does not adhere to the principles of our Constitution. One of the provisions in this bill, Section 1032, runs directly contrary to those principles. Section 1032 requires the military to detain terrorism suspects, even those who might be captured on U.S. soil. This provision is opposed by the very intelligence, military, and law enforcement officials who are entrusted with keeping our Nation safe--including the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, the Attorney General, the Director of the FBI, and the President's top counterterrorism advisor. As Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I support the efforts of Senator Feinstein, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to modify Section 1032 so that it does not interfere with ongoing counterterrorism efforts or undermine our constitutional principles.…”