[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 85 (Friday, June 14, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    THE McCOLLUM AMENDMENT TO THE FY14 DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL 
             PROHIBITING FUNDS FOR CIA LETHAL DRONE STRIKES

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                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 13, 2013

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the House Appropriations 
Committee I offered an amendment to the fiscal year 2014 defense 
appropriations bill regarding lethal drone strikes. The amendment 
stated:
  None of the funds made available by this Act may be used for weapons 
strikes or lethal action using unmanned aerial vehicles unless 
conducted by a member of the Armed Forces under the authority provided 
pursuant to Title 10, United States Code.
  The amendment was defeated in committee on a voice vote and my 
request for a recorded vote was denied by the committee. It is my 
intention to offer this same amendment on the floor of the House in the 
coming weeks when the defense appropriations bill is debated by the 
full House.
  My statement (as prepared for delivery in committee) is as follows:
  Full Appropriations Committee Statement on the McCollum Amendment:
  Mr. Chairman, within the classified portion of this bill hundreds of 
millions of dollars, perhaps billions, are appropriated for a targeted 
killing program operated by the Central Intelligence Agency.
  The CIA operates a fleet of weaponized drones armed with laser guided 
Hellfire missiles. They conduct lethal air strikes against targets in 
Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The program's targets are identified 
terrorists or they are unidentified individuals targeted and killed 
based on a pattern of behavior.
  My amendment places sole responsibility for conducting lethal 
military action using weaponized drones in the hands of the Department 
of Defense conducted by members of the Armed Forces under the authority 
of Title 10 of the U.S. Code.
  The CIA's use of drones to conduct surveillance and intelligence 
gathering in support of Defense Department lethal action continues 
under my amendment.
  Some of our colleagues do not believe that the Pentagon is not up to 
the task of carrying out this responsibility. I disagree with that.
  The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is conducting drone 
strikes now. The Air Force and the Army possess and operate weaponized 
drones. They operate within a clear chain of command and legal 
accountability. Lethal military operations using sophisticated weapons 
systems should be in the hands of the Secretary of Defense and military 
commanders who are accountable to Congress.
  CIA strikes have been effective. Terrorists have been killed. But 
they are not secret. The whole world knows these are CIA strikes 
operating on behalf of the American people, without transparency, 
accountability or oversight.
  In fact, CIA Director John Brennan may actually agree with this 
amendment. During his Senate confirmation hearing he stated, ``The CIA 
should not be doing traditional military activities and operations.''
  There are costs associated with these targeted killings. Hundreds of 
innocent civilians have been killed. There are legal questions, human 
rights concerns, foreign policy implications and ultimately moral 
issues.
  You could dismiss all of these concerns because the program is 
killing terrorists.
  But in the near future, as armed drone technology proliferates, if we 
dismiss these concerns I can guarantee you that China, Iran, Russia and 
other nations will also dismiss these concerns when they are capable of 
conducting targeted killings. Why, because we are setting the example.
  If we want other countries to use these technologies responsibly, 
then we must use them responsibly. What's at stake is our country's 
moral authority.
  The Obama Administration is not leading on this issue of ensuring 
transparency, accountability and oversight. The president claims these 
CIA strikes are within ``clear guidelines, oversight and 
accountability'' that his administration determined all by itself--
without input or even the consideration of Congress.
  And Congress has done less. In fact Congress has done nothing except 
write a black check that allows a paramilitary force of CIA officers 
and civilian contractors to kill suspected terrorists and anyone else 
unlucky enough to be in the vicinity--including women and children--
using one of the most sophisticated weapons platforms in our military 
arsenal.
  For this Congress and this committee to passively allow the CIA to 
fire laser guided missiles at human targets in countries in which we 
are not at war without demanding oversight or accountability is a 
complete abdication of our sworn obligation to the Constitution and our 
citizens.
  This is not intelligence gathering, these are military operations 
that should be conducted by our Armed Forces and with direct oversight 
by Congress.
  Our country is at war with AI-Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates. I 
trust the members of our Armed Forces to do their job, defeat the 
enemy, and protect our nation. The drone strike program is a military 
program and Congress should demand that it be conducted within the same 
legal framework as any other military operation during a time of war.
  McCollum statement at the close of debate on the amendment:
  It is no surprise the White House opposes this amendment. The 
executive branch wants to maintain its CIA drone program and its target 
list without congressional oversight, without transparency or 
accountability.
  It is absolutely appropriate and responsible for this committee to 
make the Department of Defense solely responsible for military 
operations using armed drone program. Doing so does not diminish our 
military capacity, it in fact it strengthens the program with regard to 
international law and accountability to Congress and the American 
people.
  Right now the CIA is running an assassination program and the world 
is watching.
  Soon China, Russia and Iran will have the same capability and will 
use the CIA's standard of killing anyone profiled as an enemy.
  It is time Congress demands transparency, accountability, and 
oversight to a program that has killed thousands of people--including 
innocent civilians.

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