Kucinich Building Bipartisan Support for Drone Oversight

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is building bipartisan support for legislation that would force the Administration to release its legal justification for drone strikes which target American citizens and others overseas.

Congressman Kucinich, who has opposed the use of combat drones overseas because they increase radicalization among the population of the countries we use them in, violate the U.S. Constitution, kill innocent people and stain our nation's moral consciousness, introduced H. Res. 819, a Resolution of Inquiry.

A Resolution of Inquiry is legislation that is used to compel specific documents from the Administration, and must be considered by the committee of jurisdiction, or on the House floor, within 14 legislative days.

Congressman Kucinich introduced the legislation on November 28, 2012. Unless Congress adjourns before the 14 day deadline, the bill could come before the House this year. The bill would force the Administration to turn over the legal justification it uses for the strikes, including any memos from the Office of Legal Counsel, which have been widely reported on.

Congressman Kucinich is informing Members about the legislation and it has been cosponsored by Ron Paul (R-TX), Rush Holt Jr. (D-NJ), Justin Amash (R-MI), James p. McGovern (D-MA) and Barbara Lee (D-CA).

"Thus far, the Administration has refused to release the memo or any documents, despite multiple requests from members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Intelligence operations that have virtually no transparency, accountability or oversight raise serious legal questions, particularly when such programs may constitute possible violations of international law or the Constitution of the United States," said Kucinich.

"Regardless of your support of our drone program, Congress and the American people deserve to know which laws the United States is relying on to conduct this program, and how they are interpreted by the Executive Branch," added Kucinich.