[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5767-S5768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               GUANTANAMO

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, a little later this morning, the 
President will discuss his decision to close Guantanamo by an arbitrary 
deadline that is now only 8 months away. It is clear to both 
Republicans and Democrats in Congress that the administration does not 
currently have a plan for closing Guantanamo and that closing it 
without a plan is simply unacceptable. So I hope the President uses his 
remarks this morning to present a concrete plan that demonstrates how 
closing Guantanamo will keep Americans as safe as Guantanamo has.
  We know the FBI has serious concerns about any plans to release or 
transfer other detainees into the United States. Just yesterday, FBI 
Director Mueller said detainees who are sent to U.S. soil, even if they 
are only sent to secure detention facilities, might still be able to 
conduct terrorist activities, much like gang leaders who have been able 
to run their gangs from prison. Director Mueller also stated that 
detainees released or transferred

[[Page S5768]]

into the United States could endanger the American people by 
radicalizing others or providing financial support for terrorism. 
Director Mueller's testimony appears to undermine the claim that 
sending detainees to the United States is a safe alternative to 
Guantanamo.
  Yesterday, the Senate spoke with near unanimity, by a vote of 90 to 
6, against sending terrorist detainees to U.S. soil--a vote that 
mirrored a vote 2 years ago on the same question. The Senate also 
expressed its view yesterday that Congress expects its relevant 
committees to be briefed on the threat posed by the terrorists at 
Guantanamo. So it is clear that Senate Democrats do not believe 
circumstances have changed over the last 2 years in such a way that 
would warrant releasing or transferring terrorists into America.
  If the President believes circumstances have changed, then he has an 
opportunity to explain those changes this morning. The American people 
are asking the administration to guarantee that any terrorist it 
releases or transfers will not return to the battlefield. This is 
particularly urgent in light of a New York Times report this morning 
that says one in seven detainees already released has returned to 
terrorism. The President has an opportunity to reassure the American 
people that future releases will not lead to the same result. If he is 
not able to provide specifics about his plan for terrorist detainees at 
Guantanamo, he could still provide this assurance by simply revising 
his policy. The President has already shown adaptability on military 
commissions, on prisoner photos, on Iraq, on Afghanistan, and on 
Pakistan. Here is an opportunity to show more of that flexibility on 
Guantanamo.

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