U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) co-introduced a bill on Monday that would prevent the Obama administration from closing a military prison and turning over control of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Cuba.
Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined Ayotte in introducing the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Protection Act, S. 2559. The bill would prevent the president from modifying, terminating, abandoning or transferring the naval station’s lease without approval from Congress.
“Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is a major and irreplaceable national security asset for the United States in a region that will only become more important to the safety of Americans in the future,” Ayotte said. “I will oppose any effort to relinquish U.S. control of this vital base to Cuba.”
Burr said President Barack Obama’s push to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility (Gitmo) is “dangerous.”
“Recently, we learned that one of the former prisoners at Gitmo is back fighting for Al-Qaeda’s terrorist agenda,” Burr said. “It’s clear that the threats to the United States are increasing, not decreasing, and we need every available military asset. As President Obama continues to court the Castro regime, I believe it is important that Congress makes clear that he cannot give up our base in such a strategic location.”
U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said there’s no substitute for a legally required detainee plan that must be submitted to Congress before the military prison is closed.
“Among the information missing is the proposed location for a new detention facility,” Thornberry said. “More than seven years after he first ordered the detention center at GTMO closed, I find it telling that the White House has either failed to work out these important details or they know, but refuse to disclose them, to the American public. It suggests to me that the president is more interested in fulfilling a campaign promise at any cost, than in transparently addressing the risk associated with bringing terrorists to the United States. And this should be worrisome — after all, this is the president who has consistently underestimated the threat Islamic extremists pose to America.”
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) warned that closing Guantanamo Bay would harm U.S. national security.
“Congress has made its position clear time and again: it is dangerous and irresponsible to close Guantanamo Bay,” McCarthy said. “We have passed and President Obama has signed legislation barring him from moving detainees to the United States. President Obama has stated that he still wants to close the facility, and law required him to submit a plan so he can show the American people exactly what he would do. This latest proposal from the administration is not complete and it would sacrifice U.S. national security for the sake of a misguided campaign pledge.”
The bill introduced by Ayotte, Burr, Cotton and Rubio is a companion to H.R. 654, which was introduced last year by Rep. David Jolly (R-FL).