The Senate and White House are prepared to face off over a $662 billion defense bill that would hold suspected al Qaeda terrorists for an indefinite period without trial. The Senate voted 93-7 Thursday night, and it would need to be reconciled with the House version of the bill. It is possible the bill may draw a presidential veto. The bill shrinks Pentagon spending by $43 billion, in keeping with budget cuts.
Debate over the holding of detainees became heated as critics argued American citizens could be held indefinitely by the military. Also, that the bill placed too much power with the military and not enough with courts for trying suspected terrorists. Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin, D-Michigan, and Republican John McCain of Arizona reached a compromise that U.S. citizens and legal residents would be excluded from such measures.
