WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) today at a leadership press conference discussed the President’s proposal to close Guantanamo Bay and transfer the terrorists held there to the United States:
Remarks:
“Good morning.
“The President’s proposal to close Guantanamo Bay and send those terrorist into the United States puts the priorities of the most extreme elements of the political left over the safety and security of the United States of America.
“Not only is it a bad idea, but it’s against the law.
“The President’s own administration has acknowledged that it’s against the law. But then, if you look further at the history of some of those detainees who have been released, more than 100 Gitmo detainees that have been released have gone back to the battlefield taking up arms against the United States of America.
“There’s over 30 percent recidivism. And so, why would the President want to continue pursuing this misguided and dangerous approach? Instead of trying to give rights to terrorists who want to actually carry out plots against the United States, many of whom have carried out attacks against United States military servicemen and women. Instead, the President should be focusing his time on putting together a strategy to defeat ISIS, something which the law requires him to do and something which he has failed to do.”