[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14685]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, it has come to my attention that the 
majority leader has written to the chairman and ranking member of the 
Armed Services Committee asking them to modify the committee-reported 
National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2012 before he will 
allow the Senate to consider that bill.
  The White House has made it clear that it objects to certain 
provisions dealing with the detention of unlawful enemy combatants and 
captured members of al-Qaida and associated groups. As the ranking 
member of the Armed Services Committee explained to the Senate, the 
committee voted in favor of those provisions overwhelmingly.
  My request to the majority leader would be to move to the National 
Defense Authorization Act at the soonest possible moment to allow the 
Senate to debate and amend the bill. If there are Members on the other 
side who support the White House's effort to bring unlawful enemy 
combatants into the United States for purposes of detention and 
civilian trial, the Senate can debate that matter during consideration 
of the bill. I know many Members on my side would very much appreciate 
a debate on the importance of keeping detainees currently held at 
Guantanamo from returning to the battlefield, especially in places such 
as Yemen.
  Once the Senate completes consideration of the Defense Authorization 
Act, it could then move to consideration of the Defense appropriations 
bill--another measure I assume would be subject to debate and 
amendment.

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