Senator Scott Joins Ayotte Bill to Stop President Obama from Emptying Out Gitmo

Washington– Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), a leading voice against moving detainees at the Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba to any domestic site, today became an original co-sponsor of theDetaining Terrorists to Protect Americans Act of 2016. The measure, led by Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), bars the President from transferring any detainee to any foreign country and continues a current prohibition on the closure ofthe Guantanamo Bay facility as well as any attempt to transfer detainees to domestic sites.

Just last month, the Obama administration admitted thatAmericans have died as a result of detainees released from Gitmo,and theDirector of National Intelligence has concluded that there has been an increase in the percentage offormer Guantanamo detainees suspected or confirmed of reengaging in terrorism.

“While the Obama Administration seems willing to ignore the national safety interests of America with their ongoing actions, I will not,” Scott said. “TheDetaining Terrorists to Protect Americans Act prevents the President from transferring detainees to other nations, many of which are unable to handle the responsibility of monitoring these dangerous individuals. Unlike the President, I believe we should not only not be releasing terrorists from Gitmo, but we should be filling it up with captured members of ISIS and other terrorist groups. I will continue to put national security and the safety of our homeland first and keep Guantanamo open. “

TheDetaining Terrorists to Protect Americans Act of 2016would:

• Make permanent the current prohibition on bringing Guantanamo detainees to sites in the United States;
• Make permanent the current prohibition on construction or modification of facilities in the U.S. to house Guantanamo detainees;
• Suspend all releases from Guantanamo to other countries until September 30, 2017; and
• Prohibit permanently the closure of U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo or its transfer to Cuba.

Last October, as part of his efforts, Senator Scott traveled with Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to review detention operations at Guantanamo as well as meet with American troops serving at the facility. In addition to voting for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which President Obama signed, Senator Scott has also supported measures that address the future of the Guantanamo Bay facility, including:

• S. Res. 391– A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate to oppose the transfer of foreign enemy combatants from the detention facilities at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United States homeland
• S. Res. 396– A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that individuals captured by the United States for supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant should be detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba