(Washington, D.C.): As Members of Congress prepare to return to their home districts for the August recess to face their constituents, and President Obama persists in trying to close the Guantanamo Bay prison facility ("Gitmo") by January 2010, the Center for Security Policy is convening a press conference on Capitol Hill July 31, 2009 to launch the Interim Guantanamo Legislative Report. This two-volume report provides, in detail, the policy positions of every Representative and Senator on the issue of closing Gitmo and transferring detainees to the United States.
The report identifies each Representative/Senator by name, state, and party affiliation, and goes on to identify
(1) any public statements that the legislator has made on the issue of Gitmo closure / detainee transfer;
(2) how the legislator has voted on key Gitmo legislation in the 111th Congress and prior sessions; and
(3) which Gitmo-related legislation he or she has sponsored or co-sponsored.
The two volume report - one book for the House, and another for the Senate - will be available for download at securefreedom.org after 12:00 noon on July 31, and CD copies will be provided at the press conference.
The Interim Guantanamo Legislative Report provides a tool the American people can use in discussing with their elected representatives the future status of Gitmo and the detainees incarcerated there. The Center is also creating individual online reports for each of the fifty states to be available next week, for local media and community organizations to hold legislators accountable for their positions on this critical national security matter.
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., President & CEO of the Center for Security Policy, said:
As President Obama continues to pursue closure of Gitmo, in the process placing American national security and public safety at risk, the American people have the right to know exactly where their elected representatives stand on the question of whether the facility should be closed and its detainees transferred to local prison facilities or even resettled in communities across America. The August recess presents an opportunity for this report to be used to clarify legislators' stances and, where necessary, to encourage elected representatives more faithfully to reflect the views of their constituents.
Press conference information
Date: Friday 31 July 2009
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: Room 1334 (Hearing Room) Longworth House Office Building
Featured Speakers:
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.President & CEO, Center for Security Policy
Debra Burlingame Co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe and Strong America; sister of Charles F. "Chic" Burlingame, the pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, which was crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11
Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI), Ranking Member, House Intelligence Committee
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee
