Sanity in the Senate? Who would have imagined? “Senate votes to block funds for Guantanamo closure,” by Andrew Taylor for Associated Press, May 20 (thanks to Stlreader):
WASHINGTON — In a major rebuke to President Barack Obama, the Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to block the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the United States and denied the administration the millions it sought to close the prison.
The 90-6 Senate vote “” paired with similar House action last week “” was a clear sign to Obama that he faces a tough fight getting the Democratic-controlled Congress to agree with his plans to shut down the detention center and move the 240 detainees.
The vote came as FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress that bringing Guantanamo detainees to the United States could pose a number of risks, even if they were kept in maximum-security prisons. Mueller’s testimony to a House panel put him at odds with the president and undercut the administration’s arguments for shuttering the facility.
“The concerns we have about individuals who may support terrorism being in the United States run from concerns about providing financing, radicalizing others,” Mueller said, as well as “the potential for individuals undertaking attacks in the United States.”
Good thinking, Mueller!
