On the recordJuly 12, 2017
First of all, no one is proposing to release these people, although some probably should be released, but no one is proposing that, so take that red herring off the table. Second of all, I, too, have visited Guantanamo, and I don't know how you tell by visiting Guantanamo that these prisoners are the worst of the worst, or not, just by looking at them. Thirdly, again, they have the same constitutional rights there as here, so you are not changing anything. And bringing them to maximum security facilities in the United States, while it may cost some money if you had to increase the facilities first, instead of spending $445 million, or $10 million a detainee, you would be spending $78,000 a detainee, which would free up your military budget, part of it, for other things. There is simply no rational reason for keeping these people in a military base in Guantanamo which simply serves as a recruiting tool and a measuring rod for our enemies abroad. So again, I urge the adoption of this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time. {time} 2130
