Political Quotes

“for years, I have consistently opposed efforts by Congress to restrict the Obama administration's ability to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. The indefinite detention without trial of detainees at Guantanamo contradicts our most basic principles of justice, degrades our international standing, and harms our national security. The mere existence of this facility serves as a recruitment tool for terrorists, and the facility costs American taxpayers more than $4 million per detainee each year--an astonishing amount of money that could be repurposed to keep our men and women in uniform safe. I recently received a letter from former Marine Corps Commandant Charles Krulak, co-signed by an additional 60 retired generals and admirals that noted ``closing Guantanamo is not just a national security imperative, it is about reestablishing the core values of who we are as a nation.'' I could not agree more. I ask unanimous consent that General Krulak's letter be printed in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks. Last May, I wrote a letter to President Obama urging him to expedite the transfer of cleared detainees to foreign countries and accelerate the periodic review board process to determine if additional detainees could be transferred. Since that time, the President has made progress toward closing the Guantanamo detention facility.…”