From the office of Congressman Andy Harris:
Congressman Harris’ Statement on President Obama’s Plan for Guantanamo Bay
WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) released the following statement in response to President Obama’s proposal to release detainees from Guantanamo Bay:
“President Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo Bay and bring detainees to the United States is not only dangerous to our safety, it is illegal. With Americans believing that terrorism should be one of our top priorities, it is unconscionable that our President would willingly bring known terrorists into this country. Once again, President Obama is playing politics with the safety of our nation and putting American lives in danger.”
In November of 2015, Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, told the House Judiciary Committee that under current law, Guantanamo Bay detainees cannot be transferred to the United States. On November 25, 2015, President Obama signed the ‘‘National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016’’ into law. This law has a provision that prohibits the use of funds to transfer or release Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States. Congressman Harris voted for this bill in the House of Representatives on November 5, 2015.
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016:
Subtitle D—Counterterrorism
SEC. 1031. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR TRANSFER OR RELEASE OF INDIVIDUALS DETAINED AT UNITED STATES NAVAL STATION, GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA, TO THE UNITED STATES.
No amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for the Department of Defense may be used during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 2016, to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee who— (1) is not a United States citizen or a member of the Armed Forces of the United States; and (2) is or was held on or after January 20, 2009, at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department of Defense.
Andy, Stop lying. Closing Guantanamo Bay is not illegal or dangerous. President Bush wanted (and intended) to close it during his final term, but didn’t quite get there. During that term, more than 500 of the approximately 800 “detainees” were released. During the past 7 years, the Obama administration has released approximately 200 of them (released means to penal systems of other countries where they will be under their system of scrutiny). That being said, there are only 91 “detainees” remaining at “Gitmo”. This island “prison” was meant as a temporary holding facility when it was opened and has cost the tax paying citizens of the U.S. countless dollars since its inception. Closing it will save us BILLIONS of dollars! Logic would dictate that “cost cutting Republicans” would endorse the closing of Gitmo, but for partisan reasons, they state the opposite (even if they don’t believe what they are saying).
Those 91 aforementioned “detainees” can, and will be dispersed in an appropriate manner and this chapter of the Bush debacle will end when Guantanamo Bay is finally closed!
Thanks President Obama! 🙂
It is not dangerous if they are placed into the proper holding facility / prison / penitentiary, whatever you want to call it.
W.T.F?, I welcomed your input when you stated that, “During the past 7 years, the Obama administration has released approximately 200 of them (released means to penal systems of other countries where they will be under their system of scrutiny).” Your historical view of the facts is skewed.
Yes, approximately 200 of the detainees, who were found to be engaged in ‘war acts’ against US and Allied personnel, were indeed released from Guantanamo Bay. They were released to the “penal” systems of other Middle Eastern countries, where their idea of a penal system is completely different than what is present in the United States. If you follow current events, you would know that more than half of those former detainees have been found to be currently engaged in illegal / terrorist activities directed against the United States and / or it’s Allies.
Just yesterday, a cell was found in Spain. Guess what, several of the muslim terrorists found during that raid were (yep, you guessed it) former detainees at Guantanamo released under “President” Obama.
There have been countless others killed or recaptured over the past few years…how hard is it to believe that the rest of the 91 detainees would not return to questionable activities?
Keep them locked up…don’t care where.
If they are brought to the US, you won’t save “BILLIONS” as the cost will transfer.
You know, if it is illegal to hold them in the United States, then maybe – just maybe – it should be illegal to hold them anywhere. Guantanamo Bay was a disaster from the start: illegal torture, innocent people detained, killings… and it added more fuel to those that were becoming radicalized. Frankly, it should be a war crime against America.
But Rep Harris… do you seriously believe that incarcerating terrorists on our home soil is “playing politics with the safety of our nation and putting American lives in danger”? Of course you don’t. But you can’t seem to resist the opportunity to remind everyone again ‘how bad Obama is’.
I’d love to see more press releases about positive things that you want to do for our district, and less criticizing every single freaking thing that our President does.
To be fair, Obama is kind of a shit president. Just sayin.
But hey, “If you like your doctor, you can keep him!” Also, “Average Americans are going to save, on average, over $2,500 per year on medical costs.”
How about, “I promise to have the most transparent administration in history.”
I liked it when he allowed his wife to run the “Nutritious School Lunch Program” for all public schools, yielding complaints from school kids across the nation about how terrible the food is. Yet, where her kids go (Private School) they have chef’s that will make them whatever they want, including cheesesteaks.
I love a SteakUm, can eat that crap every day…LOL
Right on AT because things were so much better the last year of Bush than they are today.
LOL.
Never mentioned Bush, but nice that people still continue to “Blame Bush” several years after he left office.
I am so glad the kids don’t like nutritious meals. They can stay fat, get the “diabeetus”, and ride their scooters to their low wage jobs at Wally-world. Jesus Hola Christo, she asked for a dietary change. If a school system implemented crap, it’s the school systems fault, not the First Lady. Damn her for making the kids eat food that isn’t crap almost as much as Laura Bush forcing them to read them thar’ books cause the last thing we need is smart, healthy students!
Wasn’t only the kids complaining. But since you mentioned it, the kids still have the option to go get “A La Carte” items instead of the standard school lunch. These A La Carte items include ice cream, chips, cookies, etc… You know, all the stuff that they “constantly eat” in the 20 minutes they have for lunch that will make them grossly overweight and unfit for any type of employment. The First Lady rode it, she owns it. She took all the glory for making it happen…deal with that.
You seem to be high and mighty in your reply, but you didn’t have a reply to the fact that Private Schools were not “forced” into the “nutritious meals”. It was widely publicized that even their own daughters didn’t have to eat the “nutritious meals” at their fancy, private school. So what does that say? Didn’t see you have a reply to that one.
The problem with obesity in ‘some’ children starts at home. It is also incumbent upon the parents to provide healthy meals to their kids. I don’t want to hear it about “some people cannot afford to do so”. Total bullshiggity…if a parent can afford to use their EBT / WIC / Food Stamps (or whatever) on electronics and 22″ spinner rims for their car, they can take care of their kids. No, not the First Ladies fault…but here you are blaming a single school lunch on why kids are getting fat.
You failed to make a valid point, because what was wrong with the school lunches over the past 20+ years? How were they “so unhealthy”? I don’t see where anyone was jumping that “Americans are Fat” back then?
It is illegal to close it because a bill, that included an amendment making it illegal to close it, was passed and signed that.
For the life of me I can’t figure out how you got elected. Your entire agenda is to oppose anything our president proposes. Gitmo and the torture there has been a huge recruiting tool for terrorists.
So there are 91 detainees left that have never been charged or stood trial. What if there are no grounds to charge them and they are released and nobody remains at Gitmo? Still keep it open?
Yes, I am all for releasing them. That way, when they find their way back to the front-lines, and engage in further terrorist activities against allied troops…we can do what should have been done the first time:
Kill them.
No more capture operations, just kill. Avoid unnecessary spending, keeping a place open that has strategic value, etc.. etc…
Actually it’s a well known fact, if you torture people, blow up their houses and kill their families they eventually greet you with open arms.
Just sayin.
Just like Germany did with all of the male “Syrian” refugees who are now going around raping women?
Just like the Parisians a few months ago who allowed immigrants to come into their City? More than 1 of the attackers were tied to the waves of “poor immigrants fleeing their war-torn country”.
Just like when those guys flew a couple of planes into the World Trade Center? How about the Pentagon? That field in PA?
So let’s just use your theory, pull out all of the troops and see what happens. Oh wait, we did that…and it got worse.
So let’s use your other theory and just “be nice” to them and release them, let them run free…maybe even give them some money and talk nicely to them.
Certainly wouldn’t want to be mean to the nice people who are cutting people’s heads off.
Everyone knew it would get worse. Go out and beat a hornets nest with a stick and let us know what happens.
You Foxbots are a funny bunch.
Lockem up in judge coppers bedroom. She’ll know what to do with them….lol
Judge “Copper”?
Everyone knows who I’m talking about