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Uncut: A bipartisan group of senators urge President Obama to give legal and constitutional basis for using drones to kill Americans suspected of terr...
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Senator dressing nice to see -- -- -- always glad to be where you're Greta you have such a -- program and orange so -- a fairly easy to get along with.
Packed up my husband is said that what I.
I don't have to hit not a letter -- and senator Leahy have written a bipartisan letter -- as part of the Judiciary Committee your ranking member he's chairman.
To President Obama asking for what.
We're asking for exactly the same information.
That he released yesterday.
To the the committee on intelligence of the United States senate and I presume my house representatives.
Which is the legal documents and mammals from the office of legal console of the Department of Justice.
Of the constitutionality.
Of the president's authority under the commander in chief clause of the constitution.
To -- side -- it's okay for drones to kill American citizens.
And the reason we want that information is because.
What -- -- the the constant the constitution.
Power in congress comes under the -- Judiciary Committee and this is a constitutional question.
And we have had.
Briefings on other issues.
And the information from the did it -- -- branch of government.
On other issues of the same constitutional importance and -- why they give it to the intelligence committee and not us when we're entitled to it under -- Laws of our land.
I don't know all but.
Having a bipartisan agreement between senator Leahy.
And this senator terror request that information I hope gets the job done but before you ask another question could I give you the background that at all October.
I don't 2000 blasted president saying he wrote for them in October of 2011 he ignored he then so let me sitting gig at the answer now.
And senator.
Leahy also -- separate -- in the fall of 2000 elaborate.
And then we finally get the attention of the president when there are nine of us including Leahy and this senator.
Signed a letter.
Of members of the intelligence committee and other senators from the same information.
Now -- little maybe a better question is how come the intelligence committee is getting it.
And we are getting -- -- -- -- That -- -- good the head of the CIA being before the intelligence committee for questioning.
-- that very day.
And this is going to become an issue.
That the president quickly and gave the information and intelligence committee.
Because he didn't want his intelligence.
CIA nominee.
To be.
Terror have to deal -- that ordeal with a question why when the information out.
But the point it is that all of this stuff is under their DJ shared a jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee -- wells in town whose committee.
And we should have it as well.
Part two questions one is if this is part of your oversight responsibility.
And he has and they haven't answered you before bipartisan -- if you think the president is dodging you on oversight that's -- first question.
The second question is do you have some problems for the content you and you question the constitutionality.
-- American drone program targeting Americans -- foreign soil based on suspicion of association with al-Qaeda.
Do you do it do you think that goes beyond the constitutional powers of the president.
Well in the first question would be.
I have a constitutional right to have -- does matter more sorry yes on the second question.
I guess that I I do have some questions about the constitutionality.
Of the president's.
Authority but I'm not going to make that final determination.
Until I read the mammals and the papers that come from.
The office of legal console -- Department of Justice so right now.
We need the information to make that determination at least I need the information to make a perm -- Personal decision -- whether or not the president's -- that constitutional authority.
But senator if it's not going to be forthcoming as information if you previously requested it in a fall of 2011.
And a senator Leahy a Democrat has previously requested it in the fall 2011.
And I suspect you never even got a better get a reply letter response your letters.
We are we got this same information in a private briefing.
That came out in the role in the release that -- that was called a white paper that came out on Monday or Tuesday.
What show isn't.
Isn't the information we want that just -- tells about how it works out and some -- -- Why the president has a constitutional authority to do this.
But it's got nothing to do with the let the legal arguments in the legal basis that the office of legal console use in the Department of Justice.
To say that the president could go ahead and did determine what American citizens to -- our not to -- I want quick last question am I against suspected they've been -- the oversight that they have been forthcoming with information they should have given them you.
Yes let me give me a little longer answer to that the answer is yes.
The answer is the only reason -- -- so far is because of the nomination.
Of they.
CIA director.
And secondly.
It -- we have had like information in the past.
In other words if the president is using as an excuse.
Not to give us this information because it violates national security and might harm national security.
They'd ever had any problem in releasing this information.
20 those of us in the congress.
Of why there was -- justification.
For.
Interrogation.
Of non combatants in the Bush Administration.
They were willing to release at that that time.
To embarrass the Bush Administration but for short they don't want to release anything that might embarrass.
The Obama administration.
Senate thank you -- and -- let us know if you get a reply to write yours and senator Leahy's letter thank you surf.
Thank you.
