Washington, D.C. -  Congressman David Price (D-NC), chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement on President Obama’s actions last night and today to overhaul the practice of detention, interrogation, and prosecution of terrorism suspects by the United States. 

Price recently reintroduced the Interrogation and Detention Reform Act (H.R. 591), his bill to close Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, establish uniform standards for interrogation that prohibit torture, and repeal the Military Commissions Act.

“President Obama is sending a clear message that the U.S. government will not sacrifice America’s historic commitment to the rule of law for the sake of expediency, and that he will wage the fight against terrorism effectively and with integrity.  The use of the Guantanamo Bay facility, along with reports of torture and the use of extralegal military commissions, have severely tarnished our nation’s moral authority in the world, resulting in an increase in anti-American radicalism and serious damage to our relationships with our allies. 

“I applaud the President for exhibiting such bold, principled leadership, and I pledge to work with him to continue reforming our system for detaining, interrogating, and prosecuting terrorism suspects.”