Washington, DC (December 14, 2011) Today, Congressman Steve Pearce voted in favor of H.R. 1540, the National Defense Authorization Act. This legislation authorizes appropriations for the fiscal year 2012.
 
“The National Defense Authorization Act funds our military and extends support to our troops,” said Pearce. “There has been some confusion about the terms of this legislation. The bill does not, in fact, give the military the right to detain U.S. citizens indefinitely. Instead, the language of the bill explicitly states that U.S. citizens do not fit the criteria for who can be detained by the military. In the event that a U.S. citizen was arrested on suspicion of terrorist activities within the U.S. or on the battlefield in Afghanistan, they would go to civilian court, and face criminal charges. However, if an al-Qaeda member is detained on the battlefield in Afghanistan, then they can be held by the military indefinitely as an enemy combatant, or until they go before a military tribunal.”
 
H.R. 1540 passed the House of Representatives today.