Senator Cantwell (D) response to my recent email ( earmarks ).

 Hello friends and readers,

  I wished I could say her response was anything but predictable.....but here is her response to my email about the severe misuse of public trust and earmarks regarding the current Defense Bill.

From the Office of Senator Cantwell

Dear Mr. Dodge,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the National Defense Authorization
Act of 2012. I appreciate hearing from you on this matter.


Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) introduced the National Defense Authorization
Act of 2011 on May 5, 2011. This legislation was passed by the United
States Senate by a vote of 93-7 on December 1, 2011. This bill will now
be sent to conference to work out the differences between the Senate and
House versions. The National Defense Authorization Act is enacted each
fiscal year to specify the budget and expenditures of the U.S.
Department of Defense.

The National Defense Authorization Act for 2012 includes numerous
provisions that relate to the treatment of terrorism detainees. One
such provision requires that any detainee caught on U.S. soil must be
remanded to the U.S. military for custody. This provision is strongly
opposed by the White House and the Department of Defense; both entities
have stated that it will limit current options available to our
counter-terrorism officials. However, the legislation also allows the
Administration to waive this "mandatory custody" requirement. The bill
also provides for an exemption for any mandatory custody transfer that
would interfere with ongoing civilian law enforcement surveillance or
interrogation efforts.



I am concerned about the potential impact of these provisions on
American civil liberties, and supported an amendment offered by Senator
Feinstein that passed 99-1 which clarified that nothing in the current
National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 shall affect existing law
relating to the detention of United States citizens. I also supported
Senator Feinstein's amendment to prohibit American citizens from being
held in indefinite detention without charge or trial.



I will continue to support a strong national defense that protects
Americans from those who would do us harm, while safeguarding the civil
liberties and rights that are vital to our freedom. These principles are
not mutually exclusive: we can and must achieve both. We must continue
to aggressively pursue terrorists, while respecting the Constitutional
rights of Americans.



I am profoundly grateful for the service of our brave men and women in
the armed services and for the sacrifices they have made to defend and
preserve our great nation. As such, we have an important responsibility
to ensure that they have the tools and resources they need to
successfully complete their mission and return home safe. Please be
assured that I will continue to work with my colleagues on behalf of the
many soldiers in the state of Washington.



Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter.
You may also be interested in signing up for periodic updates for
Washington State residents. If you are interested in subscribing to
this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov
. Please do not hesitate to contact me in
the future if I can be of further assistance.


Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator

    Not surprisingly, no mention of earmarks and no words to make me think they actually care.  Enjoy your time in Congress Sen. Cantwell.  Looking forward to voting you out.

Trevor M Dodge