House Dems Say "No" To Obama Request for Gitmo Closing Funds

By Jeralyn, Section Terror Detainees
Posted on Thu May 14, 2009 at 10:30:33 PM EST
Tags: Guantanamo (all tags)

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Are House Democrats concerned that President Obama is all talk and no action when it comes to closing Guantanamo? Today they rejected his request to include $80 million in funds in a war spending bill, saying they want to see a a concrete plan first.

The House directive was part of a $96.7 billion emergency financing measure for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that the House approved by a vote of 368 to 60, with 168 Republicans joining the Democratic majority in support.

But in a clear rebuke to Mr. Obama, Democratic leaders refused to include the $80 million that the White House had sought for closing the Guantánamo center. On his third day in office, Mr. Obama signed an executive order requiring that the camp be shut by Jan. 22, 2010.

[More...]

In a sign of the growing discomfort among Democrats over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and other national security issues, 51 Democrats voted against the war-spending measure, refusing to support it even without the money for closing the Guantánamo prison.

Instead of money:

In place of the requested money, Democrats added their demand for a plan to close the camp. “The president shall submit to Congress, in writing, a comprehensive plan regarding the proposed disposition of each individual who is detained as of April 30, 2009, at Naval Station,” the bill states. It also requires “the findings of an analysis regarding any risk to the national security of the United States that is posed by the transfer of the individual.”

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House Dems Say "No" To Obama Request for Gitmo Closing Funds | 4 comments (4 topical)

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Bleh (5.00 / 3) (#2)
by Steve M on Thu May 14, 2009 at 10:52:19 PM EST

This is not Democrats standing up to Obama, this is Democrats cowering in fear of Republican demagoguery over "letting terrorists loose in the U.S." Embarrassing.

If Obama (or Bill Clinton) had created Guantanamo (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by ricosuave on Fri May 15, 2009 at 01:21:07 AM EST

...the republicans would have complained that the terrorists were being placed less than 100 miles from American soil. This situation is a beautiful example of buck-passing by all involved.

Perhaps the recently announced NASA missions to Mars are part of the plan to relocate the Guantanamo prisoners?

Obama is rolled by his generals (none / 0) (#1)
by Militarytracy on Thu May 14, 2009 at 10:37:07 PM EST

but House Democrats aren't? Thank effing Goddess! I'm ticked at God right now......that's who Obama claims to answer to and in my opinion God seems to be a slacker at the moment.

Maybe (none / 0) (#4)
by jbindc on Fri May 15, 2009 at 09:35:35 AM EST

it's partially because (as I posted yesterday) that Obama
is weighing plans to detain some terror suspects on U.S. soil -- indefinitely and without trial -- as part of a plan to retool military commission trials? Maybe constituents back home are saying NIMBY??