Roberts Statement on Potential Transfer of Guantanamo Terrorists to Ft. Leavenworth

Press Release

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 116 remaining Guantanamo detainees are from.

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