Wilson Statement on POTUS Plan to Close Guantanamo

Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statement on the President’s proposal to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp:

“The President’s dangerous proposal to close Guantanamo and transfer terrorists to locations in the United States, potentially South Carolina, is unlawful. The 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), signed by the President, clearly bars the President from closing Guantanamo and transferring detainees to a domestic location, which would put American families at risk of attack by the most dangerous terrorists. This is yet another example of President Obama’s willful disregard for our laws and constitutional authority.

“The detainees housed in Guantanamo are the most dangerous terrorists. They should not be housed at the Charleston Naval Brig—adjacent to schools, churches, neighborhoods, and ports. Congress and the American public have spoken on this issue and it is time that the President listened.”

ICYMI: Last August, Senator Scott, Congressman Wilson, and other members of the South Carolina delegation sent a letter to President Obama regarding his consideration of using the Charleston Naval Brig to house detainees. View the letter here.