Today, in a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee entitled, “The Due Process Guarantee Act: Banning Indefinite Detention of Americans,” Senator Mike Lee reaffirmed his support for legislation that would clarify that the U.S. government does not have the authority to detain without trial American citizens apprehended on U.S. soil.

Senator Lee is an original co-sponsor of The Due Process Guarantee Act, an important piece of legislation that would restore fundamental Constitutional rights put in jeopardy by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012.

“The Constitution’s basic purpose is to protect against undue government intrusion into the lives of citizens,” said Senator Lee, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  “The constitutional right to due process is fundamental to individual liberty, and we must not sacrifice this right in the pursuit of perceived greater security.  Without freedom there is no security."

The Due Process Guarantee Act, S. 2003, provides: “An authorization to use military force, a declaration of war, or any similar authority shall not authorize the detention without charge or trial of a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States apprehended in the United States, unless an Act of Congress expressly authorizes such detention.”

The bill currently has twenty-three co-sponsors.