|
Washington
–
Senator
Tim
Scott
(R-SC),
a
leading
voice
against
moving
detainees
at
the
Guantanamo
Bay
facility
in
Cuba
to
any
domestic
site,
today
became
an
original
co-sponsor
of
the
Detaining
Terrorists
to
Protect
Americans
Act
of
2016.
The
measure,
led
by
Senator
Kelly
Ayotte
(R-NH),
bars
the
President
from
transferring
any
detainee
to
any
foreign
country
and
continues
a
current
prohibition
on
the
closure
of the
Guantanamo
Bay
facility
as
well
as
any
attempt
to
transfer
detainees
to
domestic
sites.
Just
last
month,
the
Obama
administration
admitted
that
Americans
have
died
as
a
result
of
detainees
released
from
Gitmo, and
the Director
of
National
Intelligence
has
concluded
that
there
has
been
an
increase
in
the
percentage
of
former
Guantanamo
detainees
suspected
or
confirmed
of
reengaging
in
terrorism.
"While
the
Obama
Administration
seems
willing
to
ignore
the
national
safety
interests
of
America
with
their
ongoing
actions,
I
will
not,"
Scott
said.
"The
Detaining
Terrorists
to
Protect
Americans
Act
prevents
the
President
from
transferring
detainees
to
other
nations,
many
of
which
are
unable
to
handle
the
responsibility
of
monitoring
these
dangerous
individuals.
Unlike
the
President,
I
believe
we
should
not
only
not
be
releasing
terrorists
from
Gitmo,
but
we
should
be
filling
it
up
with
captured
members
of
ISIS
and
other
terrorist
groups.
I
will
continue
to
put
national
security
and
the
safety
of
our
homeland
first
and
keep
Guantanamo
open.
”
The
Detaining
Terrorists
to
Protect
Americans
Act
of
2016
would:
- Make
permanent
the
current
prohibition
on
bringing
Guantanamo
detainees
to
sites
in
the
United
States;
- Make
permanent
the
current
prohibition
on
construction
or
modification
of
facilities
in
the
U.S.
to
house
Guantanamo
detainees;
- Suspend
all
releases
from
Guantanamo
to
other
countries
until
September
30,
2017;
and
- Prohibit
permanently
the
closure
of
U.S.
Naval
Station
Guantanamo
or
its
transfer
to
Cuba.
Last
October,
as
part
of
his
efforts,
Senator
Scott
traveled
with
Senators
Kelly
Ayotte
(R-NH)
and
Shelley
Moore
Capito
(R-WV)
to
review
detention
operations
at
Guantanamo
as
well
as
meet
with
American
troops
serving
at
the
facility.
In
addition
to
voting
for
the
National
Defense
Authorization
Act
(NDAA),
which
President
Obama
signed,
Senator
Scott
has
also
supported
measures
that
address
the
future
of
the
Guantanamo
Bay
facility,
including:
- S.
Res.
391
–
A
resolution
expressing
the
sense
of
the
Senate
to
oppose
the
transfer
of
foreign
enemy
combatants
from
the
detention
facilities
at
United
States
Naval
Station,
Guantanamo
Bay,
Cuba,
to
the
United
States
homeland
- S.
Res.
396
–
A
resolution
expressing
the
sense
of
the
Senate
that
individuals
captured
by
the
United
States
for
supporting
the
Islamic
State
of
Iraq
and
the
Levant
should
be
detained
at
United
States
Naval
Station,
Guantanamo
Bay,
Cuba
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