White House: Guantanamo still closing in January
Even as Senate Democrats on Tuesday stripped the funding to relocate detainees now at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the White House said it is holding firm to President Obama’s order closing the detention facility in January.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs downplayed the Democrats’ decision to take out $80 million from Obama’s budget that would pay to help relocate the detainees. Many lawmakers are still wary of where those alleged terrorists might end up.
{mosads}”There’s been no change in the date from the executive order,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs said Obama will offer more details on his plan in a speech on Thursday.
“We agree with Congress that before resources, that they should receive a more detailed plan,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs said the White House will work with Congress on a “timeline that makes sense for us and for them” on the funding, but the timeline for closing the facility is unchanged.
Gibbs said the president, in his speech on Thursday, will also address lawmakers’ concerns about relocating the detainees to mainland U.S. soil.
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