WASHINGTON, May 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. House of Representatives voted Friday to allow the ongoing indefinite detention of terror suspects captured in the United States.
The House rejected by a 231-182 vote an effort led by Reps. Adam Smith, D-Wash., and Justin Amash, R-Mich., that would have forbidden military detention of terror suspects captured in the United States, The Hill reported.
The amendment would have stipulated that terror suspects captured in the United States would be handled by civilian courts, not the military.
The Hill said the debate, which continued past midnight Friday, is emerging as one of the biggest sources of contention in the $643 billion defense authorization bill.
Smith asserted indefinite detention of terror suspects captured in the United States gave the president an "extraordinary" amount of power and noted federal courts have prosecuted hundreds of terrorists since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States.
Supporters of indefinite detention said the amendment would have given terrorists incentive to come to the United States because they would receive more rights in the country than elsewhere.
