[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 364]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    GUANTANAMO BAY DETERS TERRORISTS

  (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, last month I was grateful 
that President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act into 
law--legislation that will clearly prevent the closure of the prison at 
Guantanamo Bay. Sadly, this has not stopped the President from 
releasing murderous terrorists, which, by weakness, encourages more 
attacks against American families that we can anticipate in the future.
  Under President Obama, nearly 150 detainees have been released; and 
just last week, the President released four more hardened terrorists, 
creating a recruiting environment with a legacy of not being serious 
about murderous attacks in the future. The President should promote a 
legacy of peace, not more attacks.
  The administration's own numbers reveal that as many as one-third of 
the terrorists from Guantanamo return to the battlefield to kill 
American families. In March, senior officials from the administration 
even testified that former prisoners from Guantanamo were responsible 
for American deaths.
  I appreciate that President-elect Donald Trump does not support 
releasing terrorists from Guantanamo Bay, and I look forward to working 
with him to keep Guantanamo open. He knows that imprisonment is a 
deterrent to protect American families.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops, and may the President, by his 
actions, never forget September the 11th in the global war on 
terrorism.

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