The Fifth Amendment guarantees that no American shall “be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law.”  Yet the Department of Justice has, according to leaked memos and news reports, prepared legal justifications that permit the government, under presidential directive, to kill American citizens without trial during the course of counterterrorism operations.

This week, I joined Rep. Barbara Lee and other members of Congress in urging President Obama to release these Justice Department memos in their entirety.

Of particular concern is the possibility that unmanned drones may be used to execute American citizens without due process.  Senator Rand Paul raised this concern during his 13-hour filibuster of the nomination of John Brennan to be the director of the CIA, and in response, the Attorney General provided a two-sentence letter saying that drones could not be used in this way.  Yet without the context of the full legal justifications for targeted killings, this assertion provides little comfort.  Central questions are when a terrorist or potential terrorist relinquishes his or her constitutional protections, how the government would make this determination, and how precisely and accurately a government directive would identify that person.

Drones have legitimate uses, and but we need to put clear, enforceable boundaries around their use.  Last summer, I tried to fill this legal vacuum through an amendment to the annual Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that would forbid the flying of armed drones over U.S. soil.

That amendment passed unanimously in the House, but unfortunately the funding bill itself never passed the Senate, so the provision did not become law. I intend to try again this year when we debate the Fiscal Year 2014 appropriations bills.

We Should Invest As If We Have a Future

How many wildfires, hurricanes, barges running aground on the Mississippi, and tornadoes will it take before people realize that dealing with climate change is in the public interest?

On Tuesday evening, I joined Rachel Maddow on MSNBC to talk about the importance of R&D; to find new ways to fight climate change.  As I told her, many in Congress insist that we cannot afford to deal with climate change.  The truth is, we can’t afford not to deal with it.

America is not a poor, impoverished nation; we’re just acting like one.  We should be investing as if we believe there will be a future.  We should be investing in education, infrastructure, and research and development – particularly to deal with problems that are staring us in the face, such as climate change.

A full video of our conversation is available online.

2013 Congressional Art Competition

I am now collecting entries for the 2013 Congressional Art Competition from students throughout New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District.

Since 1982, the annual Congressional Art Competition has showcased exceptional art pieces by high school students from many of the nation's 435 Congressional Districts.  One artwork from each Congressional district is displayed prominently in the corridors of the U.S. Capitol for a year.

All entries must be sponsored by a high school art teacher, and each art teacher may submit at most four artworks.  If you know a high school artist, please encourage him or her to learn more by visiting my website and to talk to his or her art teacher about entering.  Art teachers must submit a list of student participants by Friday, March 29.

Also, I encourage you to join the upcoming Congressional Art Competition reception to see all of the outstanding artwork created by teenagers from all over the four counties of the 12th Congressional District.  The event will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30 at the Imperia Banquet Center, 1714 Easton Avenue in Somerset.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress