‘Travesty of Justice’: Limits on President’s Detention Powers Stripped from Final Defense Bill

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‘Travesty of Justice’: Limits on President’s Detention Powers Stripped from Final Defense Bill

by

Bridget Johnson

December 21, 2012 - 1:33 pm

The amendment from Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) to block the president’s broad power to hold American citizens without trial was stripped from the final defense authorization bill in conference, prompting a “no” vote on the entire bill from Lee and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

Civil libertarian supporters in the upper chamber have stressed the urgency of passing the language for fear that more than actual terrorists could be detained by the government’s current authority.

The bill authorizing $633 billion in spending went to President Obama’s desk today after passing 81-14 in the Senate. The House approved the conference report 315-107 on Thursday.

Obama has vowed to veto the bill, but it passed with a veto-proof majority.

The Feinstein-Lee amenement had passed the Senate 67-29 on Nov. 29. The conference committee led by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) removed this provision, making an enemy of Paul, who called it a “travesty of justice.”