Dennis Kucinich on Homeland Security Democratic Representative (OH-10)

Sub-sections under Homeland Security:
• Voting Record
• Other issues under Homeland Security

National service yes; military draft no

A: I think we need to move this country away from militarism and away from war as an instrument of policy, and reach out to our young people as John Kennedy did, and said ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. There are many different ways to serve. One is in the military--that’s honorable service, but at this time, when we have our young people in Iraq in a war based on lies, and we have this country preparing to go to war against Iran, I think that we have to say no to a draft, and put in the context that America must change its direction. If [service] means anything it should mean a new direction for America away from war and towards giving our young people a real future where they can use all their talents and ability serving in many different capacities.

Strength through peace

Cut military spending by 25%; fund diplomacy instead

Believe in international law, not assassination politics

Global war on terror is pretext for aggressive war

A: Because the fact of the matter is that the global war on terror has been a pretext for aggressive war. As president, I intend to take America in a different direction, rejecting war as an instrument of policy, reconnecting with the nations of the world, so that we can address the real issues that affect security all over the globe and affect our security at home: getting rid of all nuclear weapons, participating in the chemical & biological weapons conventions, the landmine treaty, joining the International Criminal Court, signing the Kyoto climate change treaty. The world is waiting for an American president who reaches out in a hand of friendship; who understands this is a complex world, but doesn’t see the world in terms of enemies. The minute that we have dichotomous thinking of us versus them, we lose the opportunity to be able to connect with people.

Treaties on nuclear, bio & chem non-proliferation

We need to have a President in a position of embracing the world community. We’re going to have to put away this approach of aggression. And I’m the only one in this race who not only opposed the war, but has consistently voted against funding the war which is the way the war keeps going, and I think because of that, I’ll have the credibility in the international community to be able to build the bridges that will result in a new type of diplomacy.

Opposes the use of war as an instrument of policy

Repeal the Patriot Act

Bush doctrine of preemption and unilateralism is wrong

A: I wouldn’t say it wasn’t on the agenda. The Clinton administration handled its approach in a way that tried to create international cooperation. Where the problem is today is that the Bush administration’s doctrine is wrong. The doctrine of preemption led us into Iraq. The doctrine of unilateralism essentially led us into Iraq. The doctrine of first strike puts us at risk of expanding war.

Weapons in outer space and missile shields are DOD waste

KUCINICH: I’m the ranking Democrat on a Department of Defense investigative subcommittee. I know the kind of waste that goes on there. There’s waste when you talk about building weapons in outer space; waste when you talk about building new nuclear weapons; waste when you talk about building a missile shield that even those who have studied it know that there’s been fraud involved in the development of it.

Create domestic Dept. of Peace & make all war obsolete

KUCINICH: My proposal was to create a separate Department of Peace, which would work to make nonviolence an organizing principal in our society. When we contrast that with the purpose of the Department of Defense, that’s to provide military force. Now, I think that we have to have a commitment to work with the nations of the world to make war archaic so we won’t need to send our men and women abroad in search of wars or to fight wars that they never should have had to fight in the first place.

$550B defense budget implies more taxes

Cut defense budget by 15%, even if unpopular

KUCINICH: I would move to cut the Pentagon budget by 15%, which would in no way affect adversely our national defense, and put the money into child care. And I would move to create a Department of Peace which would seek to make nonviolence an organizing principle in our society and to work with the nations of the world to make war itself archaic.

End the ban on gays in military

Terminating ABM treaty was unconstitutional

Violence and war are not inevitable

Confront the bloat and waste in Pentagon budget

Hometown Security: social spending instead of military

Abide by Non-Proliferation, ABM, and Test Ban Treaties

Bush’s foreign policy of preemption is destabilizing

LIEBERMAN: I’d say how can we win this election if we send a message of weakness on defense and security after September 11, 2001? Protecting the American people’s security, giving them a sense of safety, making sure people in this country are not worried when their loved ones go out to the mall, or take a train, go to a movie theater--that is the first goal of our government, and that means being strong on defense and homeland security.

Abandon plans for a missile shield

• Abide by the principles of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
• Stop the development of new nuclear weapons.
• Take all nuclear weapons systems off alert.
• Persist towards total, worldwide elimination of all nuclear weapons.

• Revive the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
• Sign and enforce the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
• Abandon plans to build a so-called missile shield.
• Prohibit the introduction of weapons into outer space.

We did not authorize a permanent war economy

Consider that the Department of Defense has never passed an independent audit. Yet the defense budget grows with more money for weapons systems to fight a cold war which ended, weapons systems in search of new enemies to create new wars. This has nothing to do with fighting terror.

This has everything to do with fueling a military industrial machine with the treasure of our nation, risking the future of our nation, risking democracy itself with the militarization of thought which follows the militarization of the budget.

Let us pray for our children. Our children deserve a world without end. Not a war without end.

Voted NO on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad.

SUPPORTER'S ARGUMENT FOR VOTING YES:Rep. CONYERS: Earlier this year, in the Protect America Act, PAA, amendments were made to FISA, giving the Government enhanced flexibility to collect foreign intelligence information. But the broad scope of the authority without up-front court approval raised grave concerns about the need for more safeguards of innocent Americans' communications. The RESTORE Act improves upon the PAA by providing a series of checks and balances while still allowing maximum flexibility. The RESTORE Act does not require individual warrants when persons are abroad, but it is firm that a FISA warrant is required to obtain communications of people in the US.

OPPONENT'S ARGUMENT FOR VOTING NO:Rep. KING of N.Y.: Electronic surveillance is one of the strongest weapons in our arsenal. The real enemy is al Qaeda and Islamic terrorism, not our own government working so hard to protect us. The PAA updated FISA and struck the appropriate balance between protecting our citizens from terrorist attacks and protecting our civil liberties. Today's bill, the RESTORE Act, marks an undeniable retreat in the war against Islamic terrorism. It limits the type of foreign intelligence information that may be acquired and actually gives foreign targets more protections than Americans get in criminal cases here at home.

LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Bill passed, 213-197.

Voted NO on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations.

SUPPORTER'S ARGUMENT FOR VOTING YES:Rep. REYES: This legislation goes a long way towards strengthening oversight of the intelligence community, which the President seems to consistently want to fight. That's why the President vetoed it. He wants the authority to do whatever he wants, in secret, with no oversight or authorization or without any checks and balances. Well, I don't agree. The Constitution gives us a role in this process. We do have a say in what the intelligence community does. That's why we need to override this veto.

OPPONENT'S ARGUMENT FOR VOTING NO:Rep. HOEKSTRA: This bill fails to give the intelligence community the tools that it needs to protect the American people from radical jihadists. The debate on this authorization bill is not about a single issue, [waterboarding], as some would have you believe. It is about the need to ensure that we give the right tools to our intelligence professionals in this time of enhanced threat.

LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Veto override failed, 225-188 (2/3rds required)

Voted NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad.

A modified version, S.2011, failed in the Senate; it called for amending FISA to provide that a court order is not required for the electronic surveillance of communication between foreign persons who are not located within the US for collecting foreign intelligence information, without respect to whether the communication passes through the US or the surveillance device is located within the US.

Opponents recommend voting NO because:

Sen. LEVIN: Both bills cure the problem that exists: Our intelligence agencies must obtain a court order to monitor the communications of foreigners suspected of terrorist activities who are physically located in foreign countries. Now, what are the major differences? Our bill (S2011) is limited to foreign targets limited overseas, unlike the Bond bill (S1927), which does not have that key limitation and which very clearly applies to US citizens overseas. Our bill does not. Now, if there is an incidental access to US citizens, we obviously will permit that. But the Bond bill goes beyond that, citing "any person." It does not say a "foreign person." We avoid getting to the communications of Americans. There you have to go for a warrant.

Proponents support voting YES because:

Sen. LIEBERMAN: I will vote for the Bond proposal (S1927) because we are at war, & there is increased terrorist activity. We have a crisis. This proposal will allow us to gather intelligence information on that enemy we otherwise would not gather. This is not the time for striving for legislative perfection. Let us not strive for perfection. Let us put national security first. We are going to have 6 months to reason together to find something better.

Voted YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts.

1. Improving the Quality of Contracts--to restrict the contract period of noncompetitive contracts to the minimum period necessary to meet urgent requirements; and not more than one year unless the the government would be seriously injured.
2. Increasing Contract Oversight--to make publicly available (on websites) justification documents for using noncompetitive contract procedures.
3. Promoting Integrity in Contracting--to prohibit former federal officials from accepting compensation from contractors as lawyers or lobbyists.

Proponents support voting YES because:

In Iraq, we were told we needed Halliburton to get a contract without any competition because they were the only ones who know how to put out oil well fires. So they got a contract on a cost-plus basis even though they had a history of overcharging the taxpayers. And then later we found out that they didn't do anything about putting out oil well fires in the first Gulf war; it was Bechtel, not Halliburton. Contractors were given special treatment by not having healthy competition.

In dealing with Hurricane Katrina, and we have seen the same mistakes again: No-competition contracts; cost-plus contracts. We have seen what the result has been: Wasted taxpayer dollars. This bill requires that if there is an emergency to give a contract, give it. But then have bidding within a year.

Opponents support voting NO because:

We support transparency and accountability in decision-making, but this bill asks for audit reports that are only advisory. To provide those to Congress not only gives you too much information, a lot of it can be misleading and can increase the number of contract disputes.

When you are fighting a war, you need to move quickly. You don't give a 6-month appeal to the folks that lose the competition. You don't give small business set-asides because there is one thing you don't have, you don't have time.

Voted NO on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant.

Proponents support voting YES because:

Intelligence is the first line of defense in the war on terrorism. That means we have to have intelligence agencies and capabilities that are agile, that are responsive to changes in technology, and that also protect the civil liberties of Americans. Let me make an analogy. With modernization, we replaced Route 66 with Interstate 40. We no longer have the stoplights and the intersections. We created on ramps and off ramps and concrete barriers to protect the citizens where traffic was moving very quickly. That is like what we are trying to do here--FISA needs modernization.

Opponents support voting NO because:

We are legislating in the dark. We do not even know what the President is doing now because he will not tell us. The New York Times exposed that the administration had authorized secret surveillance of domestic conversations. When exposed, the President claimed he was operating under inherent powers, but court decisions have found that the President cannot simply declare administration actions constitutional and lawful, whether or not they are.

Yet rather than finding out what is going on, this legislation retroactively legalizes whatever has been going on. The President already has broad latitude to conduct domestic surveillance, including surveillance of American citizens, so long as it is overseen by the FISA court.

This bill does not enhance security, but it does allow surveillance without the traditional checks and balances that have served our Nation well.

Voted NO on continuing intelligence gathering without civil oversight.

• This bill could have and should have required a dedicated funding line for the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. The 9/11 Commission recommended this board to serve as a civil liberties watchdog on the potential erosion of the basic constitutional rights. Now, 15 months later, we find our concerns about basic civil rights to have been well founded, but the oversight board is barely up and running [and is not funded].
• Many of us believe that when the President authorized the NSA surveillance of Americans, he broke the law, plain and simple.
• We are talking about the most basic fundamental civil liberties that protect the American people, and the Republican leadership will not even let us debate it. What are they afraid of?
• If you believe that this President should have the ability to spy on Americans without a warrant and without going to the FISA court, then they should write that bill and bring it to the floor, then have a debate and a vote.

The resolution's proponents say:
• We have had the good fortune in this country for the last 4 1/2 years to have not had another terrorist attack on our soil, and it is not because they haven't tried. The reason for that success boils down to two things: the courage of our soldiers and the quality of our intelligence. Exceptional intelligence is the first line of defense for America in the long war on terrorism.
• I think as a responsible body we have to start out by getting the facts. That means hard work that is done largely in secret. Oversight is under way, and, for the most part, the National Security Agency has been very forthcoming.

Voted NO on federalizing rules for driver licenses to hinder terrorists.

• Title I: Amendments to Federal Laws to Protect Against Terrorist Entry - defining more factors relevant to credibility determinations in asylum cases.
• Title II: Improved Security for Driver's Licenses and Personal Identification Cards - setting minimum security requirements, including the incorporation of specified data, a common machine-readable technology, and certain anti-fraud security features. Title III: Border Infrastructure and Technology Integration - studying ground surveillance technologies.

Voted NO on continuing military recruitment on college campuses.

Voted NO on supporting new position of Director of National Intelligence.

Voted NO on adopting the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

• Title I: Reform of the Intelligence Community
  • Subtitle A: Establishment of National Intelligence Director
  • Subtitle B: National Counterterrorism Center and Civil Liberties Protections
  • Subtitle C: Joint Intelligence Community Council
  • Subtitle D: Improvement of Human Intelligence (HUMINT)
  • Subtitle E: Improvement of Education for the Intelligence Community
• Title II: Terrorism Prevention and Prosecution
  • Subtitle A: Individual Terrorists as Agents of Foreign Powers
  • Subtitle B: Stop Terrorist and Military Hoaxes Act of 2004
  • Subtitle C: Material Support to Terrorism Prohibition Enhancement Act of 2004
  • Subtitle D: Weapons of Mass Destruction Prohibition Improvement Act of 2004
  • Subtitle E: Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
  • Subtitle F: Criminal History Background Checks
  • Subtitle G: Protection of United States Aviation System From Terrorist Attacks

Voted NO on emergency $78B for war in Iraq & Afghanistan.

Voted NO on permitting commercial airline pilots to carry guns.

Voted NO on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill.

Voted NO on deploying SDI.

Take US nuclear missiles off high alert.

Title: To take the 50 Peacekeeper (MX) missiles off of high-alert status.

• Requires the Secretary of Defense, during FY 2002, to remove the warheads from the 50 Peacekeeper (MX) intercontinental ballistic missiles.

• Urges the Secretary to take measures to lengthen the time for launch of U.S. nuclear weapons while remaining consistent with national security.

• Requires an annual report from the Secretary on the inventory of Russian nuclear forces, their alert status, and the condition of Russian early-warning systems.

End the use of anti-personnel mines.

Expresses the sense of Congress that:
1. the Department of Defense should field currently available weapons and other technologies, and use tactics and operational concepts, that provide suitable alternatives to anti-personnel mines and mixed anti-tank mine systems; and

2. the United States should end its use of such mines and join the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction.

3. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 to make permanent (currently terminates on October 23, 2003) the prohibition on the transfer of anti-personnel landmines.

4. Directs the President to establish an interagency working group to develop a comprehensive plan for expanded mine action programs, including victim rehabilitation, social support, and economic reintegration.

Rated 100% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record.

Peace Action, the merger of The Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (SANE) and The Freeze, has effectively mobilized for peace and disarmament for over forty years. As the nation's largest grassroots peace group we get results: from the 1963 treaty to ban above ground nuclear testing, to the 1996 signing of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, from ending the war in Vietnam, to blocking weapons sales to human rights abusing countries. We are proof that ordinary people can change the world. At Peace Action we believe...

• That every person has the right to live without the threat of nuclear weapons.
• That war is not a suitable response to conflict.
• That America has the resources to both protect and provide for its citizens.

The ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.

Establish a Department of Peace and Nonviolence.

Establishes a Department of Peace and Nonviolence, which shall be headed by a Secretary of Peace and Nonviolence appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Sets forth the mission of the Department, including to:

1. hold peace as an organizing principle;
2. endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights; and
3. develop policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and structured mediation of conflict.

Introductory statement by Sponsor:

Rep. KUCINICH: HR808 gives the promise of transforming our country and the world. It is now supported by 52 Members of the House of Representatives, and it is supported by groups who yesterday came to Washington representing 45 States. Last night, nearly 1,000 people came to the George Washington University campus to hear about the Department of Peace and the hope that it brings for America.

If you were to look at the House Clerk's desk, just around the corner, you will see engraved right into the desk, the word "peace." Peace is a foundational principle of this Congress and of this country, and the bill gives it a chance to have an animating power in our civic life by addressing the issues of domestic violence, spousal abuse, child abuse, violence in the schools, racial violence, all of those concerns we have both domestically and internationally.