The Speaker of the House gave a heads up to the administration on Tuesday, warning President Obama to lawyer up if he is thinking about closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay without Congress’ permission.
Speaker Ryan seized on comments made by the President in a radio interview on WMUR this week. Obama said he would prefer to work with Congress on a plan he submitted earlier this year to close the Gitmo facility, but noted he’s “going to look at everything.”
“President Obama admitted that he is still considering taking unilateral action to close our detention facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Ryan said in a statement. “The House has already made all legal preparations necessary should the administration seek to ignore the law,” he added, following up on a threat initially made in February.
Congress has used an annual defense policy bill to outlaw the transfer of detainees to the United States. The president’s closure plan depends on those restrictions being lifted, though he has declared them unconstitutional in non-binding executive signing statements; an infringement on his powers as Commander in Chief powers.
Last week, House Republicans on a Homeland Security subcommittee sought to further undermine the president’s mission. Gov. Nikki Haley (R-S.C.) testified before the panel, alleging that the relocation of detainees to her home state could affect tourism revenue.
The Pentagon was looking into a Naval brig near Charleston as a potential Gitmo replacement. Scout teams also examined facilities in Colorado and Kansas.
“Why would anyone want to put terrorists in Charleston?” she asked the panel, claiming that the city was the number one vacation spot in America for four years running.
