U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner told President Obama Tuesday to abandon any plans to relocate terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay to Colorado and questioned under what legal authority the administration thought it had to make such a move.
Gardner said there are legal restrictions written into funding bills including the National Defense Authorization Act that he says prohibits the transfer of Gitmo prisoners to the U.S.
“It appears your administration has chosen to ignore current law and move forward with your desire to relocate terrorists to U.S. soil without any legal basis to do so,” Gardner said in a letter to Obama.
“This plan is irresponsible, contrary to current U.S. law, and will unnecessarily endanger Coloradans and our communities,” Gardner said.
Defense Department officials are planning to inspect the Federal Correctional Institute in Florence and Colorado State Penitentiary II in Cañon City in the coming weeks to determine whether the sites will host the terrorists.
“Despite your campaign promise to close GITMO, the American people continue to roundly oppose such a plan and have clearly spoken on this issue through their elected representatives in Congress. I will oppose at every step your efforts to close GITMO and endanger my constituents,” Gardner said.
U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman has already expressed his opposition to the transfer.
Sen. Michael Bennet was all in favor of moving Gitmo terrorists to the U.S., and has voted three times against legislation that would have blocked the move.
However, Bennet is up for reelection and as per usual, has switched his stance. He’s also telling the Defense Department they don’t have the authority to do so, even though he voted in favor of that authority.