Political Quotes

“today, I reintroduce the Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, CEJA. The U.S. has huge numbers of Government employees and contractors working overseas, but the legal framework governing them is unclear and outdated. To promote accountability, Congress must make sure that our criminal laws reach serious misconduct by U.S. Government employees and contractors wherever they act. The Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act accomplishes this important and common sense goal by allowing U.S. contractors and employees working overseas who commit specific crimes to be tried and sentenced under U.S. law. Tragic events in Iraq and Afghanistan highlight the need to strengthen the laws providing for jurisdiction over American government employees and contractors working abroad. In September 2007, Blackwater security contractors working for the State Department shot more than 20 unarmed civilians on the streets of Baghdad, killing at least 14 of them, and causing a rift in our relations with the Iraqi government. Efforts to prosecute those responsible for these shootings were fraught with difficulties. The Blackwater trial has now concluded, eight years after this tragedy, with one former security contractor receiving a life sentence and three others receiving sentences of 30 years for their role. The trial was significantly delayed, however, as defendants argued in court that the U.S. Government did not have jurisdiction to prosecute them.…”