John Boehner 8TH DISCTRICT OF OHIO

Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) issued the following statement on the Obama administration’s decision to ignore Congress and purchase Thomson Prison in Illinois, a backdoor move that may pave the way for the administration’s controversial attempts to import the terrorists housed at Guantanamo Bay to the United States:

“A majority of the American people and a bipartisan majority in Congress oppose bringing the terrorists imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay into the United States, yet the White House continues to take steps to move forward with its dangerous plan.  The unilateral decision to purchase the Thomson Prison – even though Congress has repeatedly opposed the Obama administration’s effort to use taxpayer funds to do so – underscores the administration’s desire to move forward and bring these detainees to U.S. soil.  House Republicans have kept our Pledge to America to keep the terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay out the United States, and we will continue to keep our pledge.  President Obama owes the American people an explanation about how importing these dangerous terrorists and giving them the same rights as U.S. citizens will make us any safer.  Republicans will continue to oppose this dangerous plan.”

NOTE:  Keeping their Pledge to America, House Republicans have passed the National Defense Authorization Act for FY12 and FY13, both of which prohibited the transfer of terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the United States. The FY12 legislation, H.R. 1540, was signed into law by President Obama on December 31, 2011.