House votes to block Gitmo transfers

The House passed legislation on Thursday to prevent transfers of any more detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention center in an effort to stymie President Obama’s goal of closing it before leaving office.

{mosads}A bill authored by Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) passed largely along party lines, 244-174, with 12 Democrats voting and all but four Republicans in support.

Thursday’s vote comes a month after the Obama administration announced it would transfer 15 detainees to the United Arab Emirates.

Sixty-one detainees remain at the Guantanamo Bay facility, including 20 who have been approved for transfers but await countries to accept them. A total of 177 detainees have been transferred over the course of President Obama’s tenure.

Congress has made it harder for the Obama administration to reduce the prison’s population by repeatedly passing annual defense authorization bills that prohibit transfers to the U.S.

Republicans have repeatedly warned that some of the people released might resume terrorist activities upon relocating to another country.

A biannual report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in March said that 12 detainees released by the Obama administration are suspected of re-engaging in terrorism, up from six estimated by its last report. Seven of 144 detainees released since Obama took office have been confirmed of resuming terrorism activities. 

“What else will it take for the president to change course on this flawed campaign promise?” Walorski said during House floor debate.

The White House has issued a veto threat against the legislation. Democrats said that prisoners who have gone through the approval process for transfers and have been deemed not to be a threat should still be allowed for release.

“If, in fact, we can find secure places to transfer these 20, then it’s the right thing to do, and the president ought to be allowed to do it,” said Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

The 12 Democrats who voted for the measure were largely centrists, including Reps. Ami Bera (Calif.) and Brad Ashford (Neb.), who face tough reelection races this year, and Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (Ariz.), who’s running for Senate.

On the Republican side, the four to vote in opposition were mostly libertarian-minded members, including Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Walter Jones (N.C.) and Thomas Massie (Ky.).

The fourth GOP opposition vote came from Rep. John Duncan, Jr. (Tenn.).

Obama expressed optimism last week that he could still achieve one of the goals he originally campaigned on.

“I am not ready to concede that it may still remain open, because we’re still working diligently to continue to shrink the population,” he said after a summit with Southeast Asian leaders in Laos.