(Washington, D.C.) – Dr. Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette) issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 5351, a bill to prohibit the transfer of any individual detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GITMO) until enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2017.

Boustany said: “Guantanamo Bay houses some of the most dangerous terrorists in the world. We cannot afford to let them back on the battlefield. Unfortunately, the President is determined to release additional detainees and close GITMO by the end of his term. This puts American lives at risk. After unprecedented transfers of detainees earlier this year, Congress is forced to take action to put an immediate halt to this reckless plan.”

Since January, the President has released 46 detainees out of Guantanamo Bay, leaving 61 remaining, 20 of which have already been approved for transfer. H.R. 5351 will prevent the transfer of any GITMO detainees to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions or to any foreign country or entity until the NDAA becomes law.

The NDAA includes a provision that requires written agreements between the U.S. and the government of any foreign country that agrees to accept detainees. The Administration must then provide Congress with a comprehensive detention plan outlining how the release of any GITMO detainee would fit a broader wartime strategy. 

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