Rep. Johnson Looks Forward to Straight Answers on Detainee Transfer

Statement

Bill Johnson (R-Marietta) released the following statement today regarding the bipartisan concerns about the circumstances surrounding the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for five senior Taliban leaders:

As a father and a grandfather, I am glad Sgt. Bergdahl will be reunited with his family. However, that does not excuse the Obama Administration from setting a very dangerous precedent of negotiating with terrorists -- something previous presidents, Republicans and Democrats, refused to do.

I have very real concerns about the release of five senior members of the Taliban, and the process by which they were released. Current U.S. law states that the President must notify Congress before releasing any prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. President Obama did not do this.

Those prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay have been evaluated as hard-core terrorists who have worked to kill Americans in the past. President Obama's action sets a perilous precedent, and could have severe consequences for our deployed troops.

The president should, directly and in person, address the American people to explain the circumstances of both Bergdahl's disappearance, and the deal he made which resulted in the release of the five terrorists. The American people-- especially our troops in harm's way -- deserve to know why the President ignored historical precedent and the law, and took this action.

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