Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Angus King (I-Maine) on Thursday introduced legislation that would require the intelligence community to conduct an independent analysis of drone strikes against U.S. citizens. 
 
The senators introduced the bill the day after the administration disclosed that drone strikes have killed four American terrorism suspects overseas, and on the same day President Obama is set to deliver a major speech on counterterrorism policy.
 
King said it is vital to give the government the tools it needs to fight terrorism but argued more stringent checks and balances are necessary.  
 
“I also firmly believe that the Executive Branch being the prosecutor, the judge, the jury, and the executioner is very contrary to the traditions and laws upon which this nation was founded,” King said in a statement.The bill would require the director of national intelligence to set up an independent review of the intelligence used as justification for a drone strike no later than 15 days after being notified. The legislation would only pertain to strikes on U.S citizens and permanent residents. 
 
The government relies on a three-pronged justification for targeted killings, according to a white paper leaked earlier this year — the suspect must pose an imminent threat, capture is infeasible and the strike needs to adhere to applicable war principles. 
 
Both senators emphasized their legislation would in no way prohibit or authorize the targeting of American citizens or limit the power of the administration. 
 
“In no way does this bill tie the president’s hands to defend the nation or impede operators from targeting terrorists knowingly engaged in acts of international terrorism against the United States who happen to be U.S. persons,” Rubio said in a statement.
 
The bill would also require the inspector general of the Intelligence Community and the Intelligence committees in Congress to be alerted to the strikes.
 
Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress in a letter made public this week that Anwar al-Awlaki — who helped orchestrate the Fort Hood massacre and the “underwear bomber” plot — was killed in a targeted strike in 2011. His death in a drone strike in Yemen had been widely reported. 
 
Holder said three other Americans have also been killed in drone strikes — Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, Samir Khan and Jude Kenan Mohammad — but were not specifically targeted.