WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today released the following statement regarding reports of the administration’s efforts to transfer detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas:
“We have received reports of President Obama’s attempt to shut down Guantanamo Bay, which once again reflects another egregious overstep by this administration. Congress has consistently stopped Obama by law from moving a single detainee to the U.S. I shut down this administration’s nominee for Secretary of the Army in 2009 to prevent moving any detainees to Kansas and will do it again if necessary. Not on my watch will any terrorist be placed in Kansas.”
Senator Roberts has avidly fought the Obama Administration’s efforts to transfer Guantanamo detainees to the mainland, particularly to Ft. Leavenworth. In 2009, he fought the administration, including placing legislative holds on nominees, and successfully prevented the administration’s plan to consider housing detainees at Ft. Leavenworth.
Senator Roberts has also cosponsored S. 165, The Detaining Terrorists to Protect America Act that prohibits for two years the transfer to the United States of detainees designated medium- or high-risk. It would also ban transfers to Yemen, where dozens of the 127 remaining Guantanamo detainees are from.
Governor Sam Brownback today also responded to the Obama Administration’s plans to transfer detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp (GITMO). Governor Brownback, along with his Congressional colleagues, successfully blocked the transfer of GITMO detainees in 2009.
“The transfer of GITMO detainees to Kansas was a bad idea at the beginning of the Obama Administration and it is a bad idea today. The citizens of Kansas do not support moving terrorists to the Heartland of America.”
The Governor is scheduling a phone call with the Department of Defense to make clear to the Obama Administration his strong opposition to this proposal.
