Jim Campbell
The internet has been abuzz with hand wringing about Obama’s signing of the National Defense Authorization Act. It was supposed to allow for sweeping up people without due process and taking them away to unknown locations and held indefinitely.
One minor issue, it’s not true. I spoke today with Senator Feinstein’s office and her Congressional aide as well as my Congressman John Campbell. The wording below has been incorporated into the law, not the wording in the picture.
Just another bunch off nonsense from bloggers not willing to do credible research
December 15, 2011
Feinstein: Prohibit Indefinite Detention of American Citizens Without Trial or Charge ‘Constitution gives every citizen the basic due process right to a trial on their charges’
Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, today introduced the Due Process Guarantee Act of 2011, legislation that states American citizens apprehended inside the United States cannot be indefinitely detained by the military.
The Due Process Guarantee Act of 2011 amends the Non-Detention Act of 1971 by providing that a Congressional authorization for the use of military force does not authorize the indefinite detention—without charge or trial—of U.S. citizens who are apprehended domestically.
The Feinstein bill also codified a “clear-statement rule” that requires Congress to expressly authorize detention authority when it comes to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. The protections for citizens and lawful permanent residents is limited to those “apprehended in the United States” and excludes citizens who take up arms against the United States on a foreign battlefield, such as Afghanistan.
Feinstein said: “The argument is not whether citizens such as Yaser Esam Hamdi and Jose Padilla—or others who would do us harm—should be captured, interrogated, incarcerated and severely punished. They should be.
“But what about an innocent American? What about someone in the wrong place at the wrong time? The beauty of our Constitution is that it gives every citizen the basic due process right to a trial on their charges.
“Experiences over the last decade prove the country is safer now than before the 9/11 attacks. Terrorists are behind bars, dangerous plots have been thwarted. The system is working.
“We must clarify U.S. law to state unequivocally that the government cannot indefinitely detain American citizens inside this country without trial or charge. I strongly believe that Constitutional due process requires U.S. citizens apprehended in the U.S. should never be held in indefinite detention. And that is what this new legislation would accomplish.”
The Due Process Guarantee Act of 2011 is cosponsored by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).
@Patriot….
The U.S. Military will not be helping Obamalamadingdong do anything of the sort. They won’t fire on American civilians nor help take them to any camp….unless those citizens are attacking a Military Installation (they will defend themselves) or are aiding and abetting terrorists.
As for not feeding prisoners unless muslim……they would be pretty stupid to even try that. The citizens are already pizzed off….it would be all out uprising!