WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Pat Roberts, Jerry Moran and Congressman Mike Pompeo were not happy with President’s Obama’s  announcement Tuesday to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer detainees to the United States:

“The president’s move down the unlawful path to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay is reckless – especially after numerous Department of Defense officials and his own Attorney General confirmed it is against the law, said Moran.

 

Terrorists who want to destroy US shouldn’t be brought to our shores—period. #Gitmo is the right place to keep them https://t.co/RhpnO1byYq

— Mike Pompeo (@RepMikePompeo) February 23, 2016

 

Senator Pat Roberts agreed, “The absence of a specific recommendation for an alternative location proves that there is no suitable location. The Congress and the American people are against the President’s desire to move these terrorists to the heart of any American community. It is against the law. Like most of the President’s attempts to skirt the law and enact his agenda, doubtlessly this action will end up in the courts.

“The plan leaves the details to Congress, which has overwhelmingly and time after time, opposed this action in the first place.

“I reject the President’s rational that closing GITMO will stop the ability of terrorists to recruit new jihadis. This notion is ridiculous. It will simply establish a GITMO north. Given the ever growing threat of ISIS and reports that future battlefield captures are inevitable, the President cannot prove closing the facility will improve our security, no matter how much he wishes it so. Nothing in this report substantiates his assertions.

“There is no intelligence estimate of the threat it may pose to those living and working in these communities. It will be at great cost to the American people both in precious taxpayer dollars and most important, in their safety and peace of mind.

“Kansans and those in Fort Leavenworth are against this transfer and are angry at this President who risks their security in forcing this threat upon them. In fact, most Kansans say this action is further grounds for impeachment. I will continue to fight the President no matter where he wants to send terrorists to our shores.

Sites in Kansas, South Carolina and Colorado have been surveyed as potential replacements for Guantanamo. Senators Roberts, Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Cory Gardner (R-Co.) have been outspoken opponents of President Obama’s intentions to close Guantanamo Bay.