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WASHINGTON –
U.S.
Senator
Tim
Scott
(R-SC)
joined
Rep.
Jackie
Walorski
(IN-02)
and
U.S.
Senator
Steve
Daines
(MT)
today
to
introduce
bicameral
legislation
to
temporarily
ban
the
transfer
or
release
of
detainees
from
Guantanamo
Bay.
The
administration
reportedly
is
set
to
release
nearly
two
dozen
Gitmo
detainees
to
several
different
countries
this
summer
amid
efforts
to
close
the
prison
before
the
end
of
the
president’s
term.
The
bill
(H.R.
5351
/
S.
2999)
would
prohibit
these
transfers
until
either
the
end
of
this
year
or
enactment
of
the
National
Defense
Authorization
Act
(NDAA)
for
fiscal
year
2017.
Original
co-sponsors
include
U.S.
Representatives
Ryan
Zinke
(MT-AL),
Joe
Wilson
(SC-02),
and
Elise
Stefanik
(NY-21)
and
U.S.
Senators
Jerry
Moran
(KS),
and
Pat
Roberts
(KS).
"The
Obama
administration
continues
with
their
efforts
to
shut
down
the
detention
facility
at
Guantanamo
Bay
and
transfer
these
dangerous
terrorists
to
different
locations,
and
I
believe
it
is
absolutely
critical
for
us
to
prevent
this
from
happening,”
Senator
Scott
said.
“Our
national
security
must
remain
a
priority,
and
by
releasing
these
enemy
combatants
the
President
jeopardizes
the
safety
of
Americans.
I
am
proud
to
join
my
colleagues
in
introducing
legislation
to
help
stop
this
administration’s
dangerous
and
misguided
plan
to
ultimately
close
Gitmo
and
move
terrorists
to
U.S.
soil."
“The
administration
is
recklessly
accelerating
its
release
of
dangerous
terrorists
in
order
to
fulfill
the
president’s
misguided
promise
to
close
the
Guantanamo
Bay
detention
facility,”
said
Congresswoman
Walorski,
a
member
of
the
House
Armed
Services
Committee.
“There
are
critical
provisions
in
the
National
Defense
Authorization
Act
the
House
just
passed
to
prohibit
the
administration
from
bringing
terrorists
to
U.S.
soil
and
closing
Gitmo,
but
we
cannot
afford
to
wait
for
that
bill
to
become
law.
It
is
time
for
an
immediate
pause
on
transfers
so
Americans
at
home
and
abroad
are
not
put
at
greater
risk
by
released
detainees
returning
to
terrorism.”
“Terrorists
captured
by
U.S.
forces
belong
in
Guantanamo
period,”
Senator
Daines
stated.
“President
Obama
is
prioritizing
a
campaign
promise
over
his
oath
of
office
by
releasing
enemy
combatants
–
even
though
several
have
returned
to
the
battlefield.
We
can’t
allow
terrorists
who
are
looking
to
harm
Americans
and
others
be
political
pawns.
This
reckless
and
irrational
plan
will
only
entice
our
enemies
instead
of
serving
as
a
powerful
deterrent.”
The
NDAA
passed
last
week
in
the
House
would
require
written
agreements
between
the
U.S.
government
and
the
government
of
any
foreign
country
that
agrees
to
accept
detainees.
The
House-passed
NDAA
also
would
require
the
next
administration
to
provide
Congress
with
a
comprehensive
detention
plan
outlining
how
the
release
of
any
Gitmo
detainee
fits
into
the
broader
strategy
for
handling
individuals
detained
during
wartime.
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