The Senate just passed a bill banning the transfer of Guantanamo Bay terrorist suspects to the U.S. A bipartisan military bill would prevent terror suspects at the prison in Cuba from being relocated to prisons in the United States.
The move comes despite the efforts of President Obama to close the controversial prison. Republicans like Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe say that the bill is in response to actions taken by Obama.
"The president violated the law last June when he transferred the 'Taliban Five' from Gitmo in exchange for [captured U.S. soldier] Sgt. Bergdahl, failing to notify Congress 30 days before any transfer of terrorists from the detention facility and to explain how the threat posed by the terrorists had been substantially mitigated," said Inhofe, according to the Free Beacon.
Two Republicans who supported the measure to move terror suspects to the U.S. from Guantanamo Bay were Kansas Representatives Mike Pompeo and Lynn Jenkins, who wanted Leavenworth prison guards to learn how to deal with terror suspects.
"It will be the state and local officials who will be left to deal the predictable aftermath that comes with bringing these detainees to the Leavenworth community, such as an increased risk of terror attacks and a severe strain on our relationships with allied military commanders," wrote Pompeo and Jenkins in a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, according to NBC News.
Even though the bill is a setback for the Obama Administration, White House Press Secretary Joshua Earnest said Obama will still work to close Guantanamo Bay. "I don't think this has any material impact on our ability to put together and send to Congress a thoughtful, carefully considered plan for closing the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and a plan that we believe merits the strong support of both Democrats and Republicans," said Earnest, according to The New York Times.
