Lummis Votes for Constitutional Rights
National Defense Authorization Act allows indefinite detention of citizens without charge.
Washington, Dec 21 -
U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo) voted Thursday against H.R. 4310 – the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. The legislation, which passed the House by a vote of 315 to 107, allows the federal government to detain U.S. citizens without charge if they are suspected of supporting terrorism.
“Whether in a time of peace or war, the Constitution still applies," said Rep. Lummis. "This bill simply falls short of protecting our constitutional rights. American citizens should not be detained indefinitely without charge, period. The authors of this bill had a chance to say this once and for all, and I could not vote for anything short of that."
The House-Senate conference committee that wrote the bill rejected an alternative that would have protected all citizens and lawful residents from being held in detention indefinitely without charge.
The legislation now goes to the Senate for approval.
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