Boehner on Gitmo

In advance of President Obama's speech tomorrow which, per Robert Gibbs today, may include a modification of the administration's position on closing Guantanamo Bay, House Minority Leader Boehner has released the following statement:

"An overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress have supported efforts to block the Administration from closing the Guantanamo Bay prison until it defines a clear plan for dealing with the dangerous terrorists housed there.  Like a solid majority of Americans, Republicans strongly oppose releasing terrorists from the Guantanamo Bay facility or transferring them to the United States, and we believe that governors and state legislatures should pre-approve the transfer or release of any terrorist detainee into their respective states if this Administration chooses to act on its own.

“Director Robert Mueller made clear today that the FBI has serious concerns about bringing terrorists like the mastermind of the September 11th attacks into federal prisons.  The President tomorrow has an opportunity to outline a comprehensive strategy for keeping America safe, including how he will keep all of the terrorists at the Guantanamo prison off American soil.  The decision to close this terrorist prison without a clear alternative was a regrettable one, and I hope the President will reconsider it as he did on the detainee photos and military commissions.  Doing so will send a powerful message to the American people and the rest of the world about his determination to keep our nation safe.”



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