WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins met with Governor Kathleen Sebelius at the Kansas Statehouse on Monday, February 2, 2009.  They discussed the possible relocation of military detainees at Guantanamo Bay to Fort Leavenworth.

“This isn’t a Republican or Democrat issue,” Jenkins said. “It’s a Kansas issue. Governor Sebelius and I discussed the consequences moving Guantanamo detainees would have on Fort Leavenworth and on surrounding communities. It is imperative everyone understands the many physical and logistical problems involved with relocating suspected terrorists to Fort Leavenworth, and also the threat it would pose to the Leavenworth community and to the Fort’s education and training mission.”

Since being sworn in on January 6, 2009, Congresswoman Jenkins has actively worked to prevent the possible relocation to Fort Leavenworth by sending a letter to President Obama expressing the potential consequences moving detainees to Fort Leavenworth would have on the Fort and on the surrounding areas. Congresswoman Jenkins has also invited President Obama to visit the Fort before making any decisions regarding the relocation of the detainees and introduced legislation prohibiting any federal dollars from being used to fund their relocation to Fort Leavenworth. Governor Sebelius recently sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates expressing concerns with the possible relocation of Guantanamo detainees to Fort Leavenworth.

“I appreciate Governor Sebelius meeting with me about this important issue and hope she continues to express concerns with relocating Guantanamo detainees to Fort Leavenworth,” Jenkins said. “As President Obama and his administration move forward on their plans to close Guantanamo Bay, it will be important for Kansans to have a unified voice and work together to remove Fort Leavenworth from the list of possible detainee relocation sites.”