Introduces Bill Prohibiting the Use of Drones to Kill American Citizens

Press Release

Representative Reid Ribble introduced, H.R. 1242, which would prohibit the use of drones to kill American citizens within the United States with an exception for those who pose an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to another individual. Congressman Ribble's bill is the House counterpart to the Senate bill, which was introduced by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY).

"Using drones to kill Americans is an absolute breach of our constitutional rights," said Ribble. "Not only does this represent an extreme overreach of government power, it completely disregards due process and the right to a fair trial. The Constitution's most fundamental purpose is to protect the people of the United States, and I want to make sure that it is not exploited in any way. I understand that action must be taken against those who would like to cause harm, but that does not mean that we have to compromise our individual rights. I introduced this legislation because I am committed to protecting the freedoms of all Americans, and I will remain steadfast in the effort to defend the Constitution."

The use of drones on American soil has been discussed by the Administration recently, and was the reason Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) led a 13-hour filibuster on the issue. Attorney General Eric Holder recently stated that President Obama had the authority to use drones to attack American citizens on U.S. soil. While the Administration later backtracked from that stance, it gave Congressman Ribble pause so he felt legislative action was necessary.

Source