[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Page 27779]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             GUANTANAMO BAY

  Mr. INHOFE. First of all, right after the conference luncheon, we are 
going to have my amendment having to do with Gitmo. This is a very 
simple one-page amendment that states that none of the funds 
appropriated, or otherwise made available by this act--on MILCON--or 
any prior act may be used to construct or modify a facility or 
facilities in the United States or its territories, to permanently or 
temporarily hold any individual who is detained as of October 1 of 2009 
at Gitmo.
  You might wonder, we have been talking about this, and I have 
actually had pass two amendments that do almost the same thing. We 
passed an amendment to the 2007 resolution 94 to 3--a bipartisan 
amendment to the war supplemental offered by me and Senator Inouye from 
Hawaii. It passed 90 to 6 in the current Senate Defense appropriations 
bill. It is in conference. My concern is, in conference, it may be 
removed. Keep in mind, we sent this language to conference once before, 
and it came back and merely said that if the President announces a plan 
of what to do with those individuals who are incarcerated at Gitmo, we 
would have 45 days to discuss that. It doesn't say we have to agree 
with the plan he gives.
  Consequently, there are no teeth in that. This may be our only 
chance. This is an issue that has always passed by over 90 votes. So I 
will have that amendment. I hope people will understand the whole 
country was upset when they found out on Friday the 13th--and that was 
kind of an interesting day for this--when Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, as 
announced by the President, was going to be tried in New York City, and 
they were going to move five terrorists into the New York City area. I 
will not debate this thing. It has been worn out in the press.
  People realize that if we are going to bring these terrorists to the 
United States, they will become targets for terrorist activities. 
Besides that, you cannot try someone under our court system who should 
be tried under a tribunal. The rules of evidence are different, and we 
have a perfect place for that down in Gitmo. Again, I will be offering 
that amendment.

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