On the recordMay 21, 2014
I yield myself 2 minutes at this time. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The Guantanamo facility is safe and the most appropriate location for detainees to be held. Detainees at Guantanamo are held there because they were engaged in dangerous acts threatening the United States of America and its allies. Some orchestrated and celebrated the murders of thousands of innocent Americans. As in previous conflicts, it is entirely appropriate to hold detainees until enemy forces are defeated. In this case, it is al Qaeda and their associates. The Guantanamo facility is ideal for this purpose. It is secure. It is relatively distant from the United States. It is difficult to attack. I can promise you that the Cubans have no interest in freeing the prisoners there, but there are people in this world that want to do that. We saw it at Abu Ghraib prison last year where many members of al Qaeda were freed. That prison was attacked, and they were freed. So the Guantanamo facility is ideal for this purpose. It is secure and it is safe. It also provides humane conditions for the detainees. They have access to health care, recreational activities, cultural and religious materials. Also, Members of the House of Representatives routinely visit Guantanamo, and they have seen the humane conditions in which dangerous detainees are held.…
