WASHINGTON- The senator likely to head the Armed Services Committee says Congress may need to break down some legal barriers that prevent soldiers from helping local officials during terrorist attacks and other national emergencies.
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said he would hold hearings to review the 19th century Posse Comitatus law that restricts the military's involvement in domestic law enforcement.
"If local law enforcement is totally overwhelmed, would not the military be perhaps the best to help for that interim period until the local law enforcement can reconstitute itself?" Warner said in an interview Tuesday.
In an overview of his priorities, Warner said he wants to help advance the use of unmanned airplanes, naval vessels and other vehicles. He also said he will continue to support President Bush's missile defense plans - something that at times put him at odds with the committee's current chairman, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.
Where's the black helicopter crowd when you need them...