SHAHEEN CALLS FOR SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING ON ADMINISTRATION’S USE OF DRONES

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released the following statement this morning calling for a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to examine the Obama Administration’s use of drones overseas.  Shaheen is a member of both the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

“Drones play a critical role in our national security as they have been very effective in devastating core parts of al Qaeda. However, that doesn’t mean the Administration should have the freedom to operate without proper oversight. We need to better define parameters surrounding the use of this weapon and we must do so with an appropriate level of transparency that doesn’t compromise our national security. A thorough review of the Obama Administration’s use of drones is necessary and I am hopeful that the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations can convene a public hearing to give these activities the type of necessary oversight they require.”