Senate Proceeding on May 14th, 2009 :: 4:05:15 to 4:14:50
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4:05:13 to 4:05:33( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: quorum call: a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the mr. thune: mr. ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be dispensed and th i be allowed the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that i be able -- allowed to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: is

4:05:15 to 4:14:50( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John Thune

4:05:34 to 4:05:54( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i've sought recognition to make a few observations on president obama's request on the emergency war supplemental for $80 million in funding to close the detention facility at guantanamo bay. shortly after taking office in january, president obama

4:05:55 to 4:06:16( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: announced with much fanfare the detention facility. at the same time, he also said he would work with congress on any legislation that might be appropriate. but instead of consulting congress, president obama is just askingor $80 million to close guantanamo with no justification or indication of a plan. the house appropriations committee has already refused to

4:06:17 to 4:06:39( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: provide the funding because, in the words of the chairman of the committee, the president has no plan in place on what to do about the detainees that are used there. we're now hearing reports that the senate appropriations committee will be providing funding for guantanamo in its version of the emergency war supplemental, but that it w be -- quote -- "fenced off until

4:06:40 to 4:07:00( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: the president provi disposition of detainees that are held at guantanamo bay." mr. president, i believe that any plan to close guantanamo that includes bringing these terroris states is a mistake. we don't want the killers who are held thereo be brought in the administration is actively

4:07:01 to 4:07:22( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: seeking to circumvent a senate resolution which passed by a vote of 94-3 in july of 2007, and that resolution stated that the detainees housed at guantanamo bay should not be released into american society and not transferred stateside into facilities in american communities and neighbo now, in fact, not only does the obama administration wish to

4:07:23 to 4:07:43( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: hold open the possibility that some of these detainees transferred to facilities in american communities, it is even considering freeing some of them into american society. these are the 17 chise whose combat tribunal records were deemed ink sufficient to suppt the conclusion that they

4:07:44 to 4:08:04( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: are enemy combatants but cannot be returned to china because of fear that the chinese government will torture or kill them. at a press conference on march 26, admiral dennis blair, the director of national intelligence, went so far as to say -- and i to release them, the uighurs, in the united states, we need some

4:08:05 to 4:08:27( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: sort of assistance for them to start a new life." however, the uighur detainees are not simply unfortunate souls who happen to be scooped up on the battlefields of afghanistan because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. they took firearms training at camps run by the eastern turkistan islamist movement

4:08:28 to 4:08:51( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: which has been d terrorist organization by the united states. they were in tora bora when we were in a area seeking to caure osama bin laden. the leader and chief obstructer was the obama administration labeled this man a -- quote -- "brutal

4:08:52 to 4:09:13( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: terrorist" -- end quote -- with ties to al qaeda. it is hard to pleeive that the administration is considerable freeing this men into the united states and most outrageous of all paying them to live within american communities and neighbor the american people don't want these men walking the streets of america's neighborhoods. aside from the issue of turning loose into the united states

4:09:14 to 4:09:34( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: people who trained in terrorist camps, the american people don't want the guantanamo detainees to be transferred to the united states and held in their backyards either, whether in a military base or federal prison. looks at the details of the killers who are held at guantanamo. guantanamo is home to some of

4:09:35 to 4:09:55( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: the world's most dangerous terrorists. there are 27 members of al qaeda's leadership held there along with 95 lower-level al qaeda operatives. nine members of the al qaed taliban's leadership and 12 taliban fighters. americans don't want these killers brought into the united states.

4:09:56 to 4:10:16( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: president obama's january 22, 2009, executive order reads in relevant part that a review of all guantanamo detentions "shall identify and consider legal, logistical and security issues realing to potential transfer of individuals currently detained at guantanamo to facilities

4:10:17 to 4:10:37( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: with end quote. in my view, president obama is willfully ignoring the views of the united states senate in its resolution passed, earlier, by a bipartisan 94-3 vote. detainees should not be released into american nor should they be

4:10:38 to 4:10:59( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: tranerred into facilities in american c neighborhoods. mr. president, since president obama seems set on a course to bring these terrorists into the united states, i worked with my colleague in the senate, senator inhofe from introduce a bill that would prevent any taxpayer dollars from being used to transfer detainees held at guantanamo bay to any facility in the united

4:11:00 to 4:11:20( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: states or construct, improve, modify, or otherwise enhance any facility in the unid states for the purpose guantanamo detainees. transferring these terrorists held at guantanamo to facilities in or near american communities could make those communities terrorist targets. mr. president, i had the

4:11:21 to 4:11:43( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: oprtunity to question admiral dennis blair, the director of national intelligence, on the potential security threat of relocating the guantanamo bay detainees to facilities in the united states during an armed services committee hearing on current and future worldwide threats to the security of the united states. admira moving those detainees to the

4:11:44 to 4:12:04( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: united states -- and i quote -- "does somewhat raise the thr level" -- end quote -- and "does raise the concern somewhat." that does not bring me comfort. if we it should not result in americans being less safe. transferring these detainees

4:12:05 to 4:12:26( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: would also stress the civilian governments and the where these detainees will be placed. with roadblocks to identification checks, along with having increasedecurity personnel available to deal with what is an obviously threat. the value of homes and

4:12:27 to 4:12:48( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: businesses would decline. south dakotans don't wt these detainees. my support of the guantanamo safe closure act will help ensure that these detainees will not be transferred to my home state of south dakota or other states in the united states. mr. president, in conclusion, my view that no guantanamo detainees should be brought into

4:12:49 to 4:13:10( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: the united states to be incarcerated and certainly should not be brought into the united states and freed. americans don't want these killers brought into their communities and neighborhoods, period. the senate has clearly spoken on that front by a 94-3 vote on a resolution that we adopted in july of 2007, that detainees housed at guantanamo bay should

4:13:11 to 4:13:31( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: not be released into american society and not transferred stateside into the facilities in american communities and neighborhoods. mr. president, these detainees are hardened and trained terrorists, who are very smart and extremely dangerous, who understand the strategic vulnerabilities of this country

4:13:32 to 4:13:52( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: and who are capable of exploiting any situation and any vulnerability to inflect -- inflict death and destruction on the united states. these are not common criminals locked up in state or federal prisons. mr. president, guantanamo is secure. the facility is a $200 million

4:13:53 to 4:14:13( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: state-of-the-art prison. no one has ever escaped and its location makes it extremely difficult to attack. best of all, it is located hundreds of miles away from american communities. if president obama wishes to close guantanamo, he must do so in a way that keeps america safe.

4:14:14 to 4:14:36( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: in my view, mr. president, america is less safe if guantanamo detainees are brought into the united states, and i will do everything i can to make certain that happen. mr. president, i yield the floor, and of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.