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Jenkins Continues Efforts to Keep Guantanamo Detainees Out of Fort Leavenworth

To Visit Guantanamo Bay Facility on Monday, Asked New Armed Services Ranking Member to Hold Hearing on Relocation of Guantanamo Detainees


WASHINGTON - Representative Lynn Jenkins ramped up her efforts this week to keep detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from being transferred to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, if the prison at Guantanamo Bay is closed as President Obama intends.

“On Monday, I will travel to Guantanamo Bay to tour the detention facilities and meet with the military officials in charge,” Jenkins said. “The January 22nd deadline set by President Obama for the closure of Guantanamo Bay is fast approaching, but we’ve still not seen any details about where he plans to send the terrorist detainees. This issue has drawn a lot of debate over the past few months and no doubt will draw much more in months ahead, so I think it is important to have a first-hand knowledge of the facility.”

Jenkins also met this week with new Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.). After Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) was appointed to be Secretary of the Army, McKeon was tapped to take over as the highest ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee. It is expected that McKeon will be ratified next week as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Jenkins continued, “My meeting with Rep. McKeon went very well, and I am confident he understands the negative consequences that would come with transferring terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Fort Leavenworth. Rep. McKeon said the committee is expected to consider legislation dealing with the transfer of detainees during consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act next week, and I look forward to working with him, the folks in and around Leavenworth as well as the rest of the members on the Armed Services Committee to make sure these dangerous terrorist suspects are not transferred to Fort Leavenworth.”

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Congresswoman Jenkins introduced H.R. 148 to block any federal funds from being used to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Her legislation has been referred to the House Armed Services Committee and has 18 co-sponsors.