Allen West on Homeland Security

Accused of torturing Iraqi informant; firing gun near head

Cut defense budget: I know where's the low-hanging fruit

"You're talking to a guy who's been on the ground," the freshman coolly replied. "There's waste, and I know where the low-hanging fruit is."

Threatening Iraqi detainee yielded immediate information

Hamoodi insisted, through several hours of questioning, that he knew nothing. Then West entered the room The lieutenant colonel sat down in front of the detainee and placed his 9mm pistol on his lap, with the barrel facing Hamoodi. "You're either going to tell us what we need to know," said West, "or I'll kill you."

Hamoodi repeated his denials, and one of West's soldiers punched him in the face. They dragged the Iraqi policeman over to a weapons clearing barrel and shoved his head down into it, West held his pistol against the back of Hamoodi's head. He counted backward from five. Hamoodi still offered nothing. West then fired off a shot, purposefully missing the detainee by maybe an inch. Hamoodi promptly collapsed, invoked Allah, and proceeded to rattle off names and locations. [West was court-martialed].

American Exceptionalism requires growing armed forces

Voted YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's roving wiretaps.

Congressional Summary: To prohibit Federal funding of National Public Radio and the use of Federal funds to acquire radio content, including:
1. broadcasting, transmitting, and programming over noncommercial educational radio broadcast stations
2. cooperating with foreign broadcasting networks
3. assisting and supporting noncommercial educational radio broadcasting
4. paying dues to such organizations
5. or acquiring radio programs for public broadcast.

Proponent's Argument for voting Yes:
[Rep. Blackburn, R-TN]: This bill gets the Federal Government--and Federal taxpayers--out of the business of buying radio programming they do not agree with. This is a bill that is long overdue. Regardless of what you think of NPR, its programming or statements by its management, the time has come to cut the umbilical cord from the taxpayer support that has become as predictable as an entitlement program. Much has changed in the media landscape since the wiretaps, to seek certain business records, and to gather intelligence on lone terrorists who are not affiliated with a known terrorist group. The Patriot Act works. It has proved effective in preventing terrorist attacks and protecting Americans. To let these provisions expire would leave every American less safe.

Opponent's Argument for voting No:
[Rep. Conyers, D-MI]: Section 215 of the Patriot Act allows a secret FISA court to authorize our government to collect business records or anything else, requiring that a person or business produce virtually any type record. We didn't think that that was right then. We don't think it's right now. This provision is contrary to traditional notions of search and seizure which require the government to show reasonable suspicion or probable cause before undertaking an investigation that infringes upon a person's privacy. And so I urge a "no" vote on the extension of these expiring provisions.

Member of House Committee on Armed Services.

United States House Committee on Armed Services retains exclusive jurisdiction for: defense policy generally, ongoing military operations, the organization and reform of the Department of Defense and Department of Energy, counter-drug programs, acquisition and industrial base policy, technology transfer and export controls, joint interoperability, the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, Department of Energy nonproliferation programs, and detainee affairs and policy.

The Committee on Armed Services maintains six permanent subcommittees, an Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, and a Defense Acquisition Reform Panel. Each of the subcommittees have differing jurisdictions, which overlap on key issues, but all are dedicated to providing for the men and women of America's Armed Forces and the nation's common defense. The subcommittees are:
• Tactical Air and Land Forces
• Military Personnel
• Oversight & Investigations
• Readiness
• Seapower & Projection Forces
• Strategic Forces
• Emerging Threats & Capabilities