Bad, Bad Bills

November 30, 2009  |  Posted by Danielle Belton

Just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean the opposition is taking any time off! In an effort to stall the inevitable, several Republicans in the House of Representatives are pushing bills and resolutions that would delay or stop any Guantanamo Bay detainees from being tried here in the U.S.

Here’s a round up of what to watch:

Guantanamo Detainee Transfer Impact Assessment Act: (H.R. 4086) This House Bill would require that “certain conditions be met” before a Gitmo detainee can be brought to the United States, demanding that a Homeland Insecurity Impact Statement, courtesy of the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Homeland Security, be performed before any detainees are moved. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Mark Kirk who has been vocal in his opposition to Gitmo detainees being housed at a prison in Thomson, Ill., arguing that some kind of threat assessment needs to be done since the facility is “only 22 miles from a nuclear reactor.”

H.R. 4097: This bill would deny funds to be used to transfer detainees to Thomson Correction Center in Illinois. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Aaron Schock and features Rep. Kirk as a co-sponsor. 

H.R. 4111: Sponsored by Rep. Todd Tiahrt, this bill proposes that all detainees remain under the jurisdiction of military commissions and stay at Guantanamo Bay. According to a press release, the bill would “prohibit the prosecution of unprivileged enemy combatants by the Department of justice.”

Keep Terrorists Out of the Midwest Act: (H.R. 4120) Introduced by Rep. Tom Latham, this bill would deny the transfer of any Gitmo detainee to any facility in the Midwest. States included would be Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Nebraska and Kansas.

House Resolution 920 would ask that the Attorney General produce to Congress all information and documentation involving detainees up for possible transfer that are currently being held at Guantanamo. This would include any legal advice or recommendations made since Jan. 20, 2009.

House Resolution 922 calls for the Secretary of Homeland Security to share all information pertaining to any planning or coordination with a state that would receive detainees.

House Resolution 923 requests that the President give Congress any documents relating to any foreign intelligence gathering involving Gitmo detainees.

House Resolution 924 requires that the Secretary of Defense submit to Congress copies of any type of communication that relates to the trial or detention of terrorist suspects Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin ‘Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali or Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi.

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