Last week, Sen. Rand Paul drew international support from fellow Libertarians, Democrat and Republicans legislatures and pacifists when he took a stance against President Obama's drone policy. The Kentucky senator held a 13-hour talking filibuster on the House floor demanding that the Obama Administration not to use drones to kill Americans on U.S. soil if they are not engaged in combat.
On Monday, eight Democratic lawmakers in the House joined in on the anti-drone rhetoric in a letter urging the president to reveal classified documents detailing the legal basis for his use of drones against U.S. citizens and foreign nationals deemed as terrorists.
In the letter, the lawmakers say they're "deeply concerned" about legality of drone strikes based on a leaked Justice Department white paper.
"Every American has the right to know the underlying legal rationale that ensures due process," says the letter, which was organized by Rep. Barbara Lee of California and Rep. John Conyers of Michigan.
"Authorizing the killing of American citizens and others has profound implications for our Constitution, the core values of our Nation, our national security and future international practice. The executive branch's claim of authority to deprive citizens of life, and to do so without explaining the legal bases for doing so, sets a dangerous precedent and is a model of behavior that the United States would not want other nations to emulate," the lawmakers write.
The other Dems who signed the bill include Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Raul Grijalva of Arizona, Donna Edwards of Maryland, Mike Honda of California, Rush Holt of New Jersey and James McGovern of Massachusetts.
A White House spokeswoman did not respond to the new letter.
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