Inhofe Statement on President's Latest Effort to Close Gitmo

Statement

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement regarding the submission of a document by President Obama and his administration to close the detainee detention center at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Gitmo):

"The president's announcement today is more about his legacy than ensuring the security of this nation and its people. Congress and the American people have repeatedly spoken, passing laws every year that continue to prohibit the transfer of these terrorist detainees to the United States. This has not stopped this president from continuing to do anything in his power, to include violating U.S. law, to empty Gitmo. His promise of working with Congress is pure rhetoric.

"The joint letter sent to the president by the Attorney Generals of Kansas, Colorado and South Carolina in November echoes what most Americans believe -- moving detainees to their states would amount to a "dangerous and illegal action, violating federal law and harm our States.' As Sec. Carter has said, there are individuals in Gitmo that are too dangerous to transfer overseas, which leaves me to question why anyone would want them on U.S. soil near our schools, homes and communities. Bringing these terrorists to the U.S. will endanger any community that will house them, becoming targets by extremists bent on killing Americans and destroying our country."

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