Liberty and Due Process in America: Indefinite Detention without Due Process

Jonathan Weisman, House Vote Upholds Indefinite Detention of Terror Suspects NYTimes (May 18, 2012):
"The House on Friday turned back an unusual coalition of liberals and conservatives and voted down legislation to reject explicitly the indefinite detention of terrorism suspects apprehended on United States soil....
"Well before the final vote, the White House promised a veto if the final version maintained the House spending levels and tied President Obama’s hands on detainee and nuclear policies. ......
"The Defense Authorization Act is required each year to set Pentagon policy and spending levels, but House Republicans have turned it into a showcase for their opposition to Obama administration policies.

"This year, Democratic leaders had some surprise support. Representative Justin Amash of Michigan, a Tea Party-backed freshman Republican, teamed up with Representative Adam Smith, Democrat of Washington, to declare that terrorism suspects apprehended on United States soil should not be detained indefinitely without charge or trial.

"But the left-right coalition fizzled in the face of charges that the two lawmakers were coddling terrorists. On the 238-to-182 vote against the amendment, as many Democrats — 19 — voted against it as Republicans voted for it.

"'We’ve got a ways to go still, but there are a lot of Republicans who are listening now,' Mr. Amash said. 'I’m confident that most of them are going to go back to their districts, and they are going to get hammered on this issue.'"

        

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