Congressman Carter, Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, is releasing the following statement regarding the guilty verdict in the trial of Major Nidal Hasan.

“I am happy with Major Hasan’s guilty verdict, though not surprised. Having been a trial judge for 20 years, I made the decision to refrain from commenting, so that I would not taint the trial. I have been keeping up with the trial and believe the Judge did a great job of protecting the constitutional integrity of this trial, ensuring a guilty verdict. We must now wait and see what Major Hasan’s sentence will be. I hope an appropriate sentence will be handed down by the court, keeping Major Hasan from becoming a martyr for his cause.”

Chairman Carter represents Fort Hood, where the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting took place. With H.R. 705, Chairman Carter and Rep. Roger Williams, who also represents Fort Hood, are pushing to get the victims of the shooting the benefits they need and deserve.