Mitch Perry
House Democrats were on the losing side of a vote Thursday to prevent the transfer of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, and Patrick Murphy’s opposition to the measure has predictably earned the wrath of Marco Rubio’s Senate campaign.
“For far too long the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay has been a stain on American values that undermines our security around the world,” Murphy said. “As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I will continue to support closing Guantanamo in a responsible way that protects the safety and security of the American people.”
The GOP-led House passed the bill on a 244 to 174 vote.
“Today, Patrick Murphy voted to fund the release of terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, despite even more evidence that they are rejoining militant groups,” said Rubio spokesman Michael Ahrens. “Murphy continues to stand in lockstep with the Obama administration’s liberal policies that pose a direct threat to our national security and the safety of all Americans. From supporting the Iran deal to releasing terrorists from Guantanamo, Murphy can’t be trusted to keep Florida’s families safe.”
The legislation calls for an immediate stop of transfers from the prison until either Congress passes a defense policy bill or the first day of the new presidential administration on Jan. 21, 2017 — whichever comes sooner. It’s not considered likely to advance in the Senate.
The bill’s sponsor, Indiana Republican Jackie Walorski, said the legislation is necessary because of increasing incidences of recidivism. A new report from the Director of National Intelligence released Wednesday showed two more detainees released from Guantanamo Bay had re-engaged in terrorist activity.
The Obama administration has reduced the prison population at Gitmo to 61, from more than 100 at the beginning of the year, by shipping those deemed less dangerous to be incarcerated in foreign countries. At issue are 20 of the remaining detainees the the Obama administration has deemed transferable following vetting from a task force; the rest are undergoing military judicial proceedings or are considered too dangerous to transfer.
Only 12 Democrats crossed party lines to join House Republicans on the vote. One of them was Tallahassee Democrat Gwen Graham.
UPDATE: Later on Rubio himself criticized the Obama administration for their stance on Gitmo prisoners, saying, “President Obama continues to empty the Guantanamo Bay detention center, even as two more detainees released by his Administration have returned to terrorism. We know that the remaining detainees are considered ‘the worst of the worst,’ and with a confirmed recidivism rate of 30 percent, it’s baffling the Administration continues to set these terrorists free to threaten America and our allies, including our military men and women serving overseas. The President’s efforts to preserve his legacy at any cost is hindering U.S. national security precisely at a time when the threats to our country are growing, and terrorist groups like al Qaeda and ISIS are giving these former detainees more options for reengagement. This is why I will continue to urge President Obama to stop setting terrorists free from Guantanamo and immediately work to recapture those who have returned to terrorist activity.”
