WASHINGTON (CN) - Legislation proposed in the U.S. Senate and House would take terrorism prosecutions away from civilian courts and give them to the U.S. military. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., and Congressman Bobby Schilling, R-Ill., introduced the bills.
McCain called his bill "much-needed legislation [that] would improve our current ad hoc military detention system for members of al-Qaeda and their affiliated terrorist groups, by enacting these policies and procedures firmly into law."
Schilling's House bill would require that terrorism suspects be placed in military custody unless the Pentagon decides otherwise.
McCain's bill requires members of al-Qaeda, the Taliban and affiliated terrorist groups to be held by the military.
"I am working with Chairman [Buck] McKeon [R-Calif.] to introduce this legislation that will handle the detainees and specifically stops funding for the construction or modification of any facilities in the United States to house Guantanamo detainees," Schilling said in a statement on his website.
"In other words, this legislation would mean no detainees in Thomson, Ill., or anywhere in the United States, its territories or possessions - except Guantanamo Bay."
McKeon is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
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