House Republicans Introduce Bill Banning Gitmo Detainees From U.S. Soil

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Republicans

4591246With President Obama ordering the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility within the year, House Republicans today introduced legislation to prohibit federal courts from ordering the release or transfer of detainees from the facility onto U.S. soil.

"Closing Guantanamo Bay presents a clear and present danger to all Americans," said House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith. "These suspected terrorists must now be relocated and if they are transferred to military prisons in the U.S., they automatically will be granted rights far beyond those given to enemy combatants by any other country."

"The result is that many will petition friendly federal judges who may order their release into U.S. communities," he continued.

The legislation, known as the Enemy Combatant Detention Review Act, has the backing of Minority Leader John Boehner and other prominent House Republicans.

In addition to preventing courts from bring enemy combatants into the U.S., the bill requires that an alien captured and detained abroad during wartime cannot be admitted and released into the country.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

131 Comments +

Add a Comment

See all 131 Comments


by indamiddle January 24, 2009 10:42 PM EST: somehow someway somewhere in history..the liberals historians would make it look like the republicans closed gitmo; Reply to this comment


by netstatter January 24, 2009 2:22 AM EST: GOP!! The best way to get back the majority in the quickest time is to show the stark contrast between the liberals currently running amok in Congress and you. If the GOP sticks to common-sense and strong values and don''t get tripped up in scandal, and if the GOP will stand on principles, the American people will take note and vote you back in.; Reply to this comment


by netstatter January 24, 2009 2:20 AM EST: GOP!! The best way to get back the majority in the quickest time is to show the stark contrast between the liberals currently running amok in Congress and you. If the GOP sticks to common-sense and strong values and don''t get tripped up in scandal, and if the GOP will stand on principles, the American people will take note and vote you back in.; Reply to this comment


by steeepe January 23, 2009 7:34 PM EST: I think we need a bill that forces Republicans to leave the country. Maybe they can invade some hapless country and set up their own world there, with Orwell''s 1984 as their manifesto.; Reply to this comment


by rufuswhirl January 23, 2009 4:26 PM EST: Man, the libtards are numb. Why you would grant citizenship to the very people who vow to destroy you and your world is beyond fathoming.; Reply to this comment


by vdl515 January 23, 2009 4:02 PM EST: "O, mujahideen (holy strugglers) everywhere rise like an angered lion ... do what you can to make the infidel capitals of the West and America and the Arab Tyrants taste what our brothers and weak folks in Palestine have been tasting." .... quoted today by a high ranking al-Qaeda figure (from msnbc.com)

I am seriously frightened for our country and for our Allies. And yet, the person chosen to be our President is closing Gitmo? His reasoning here escapes me. I feel it is just a matter of time before we will be attacked again. And before liberals jump on me, I am not a Republican. I just want the person elected to give it more than 3 or 4 days before making such an enormous decision. I felt so powerless on September 11, 2001. I am starting to feel that way again now. I truly hope the new administration can resolve our world conflicts with the direction they are taking. However, our enemies care not what our belief system is. They only want to destroy every non-Muslim. And again, before the bashing starts on me, I have Muslim friends, grew up with my best friend being Muslim and I do consider most of the Muslims peaceful people. The radicals of the religion frighten me, however, as do radicals of ANY religion. The radical Muslims are not going to sit down across a table and negotiate a thing. They want our blood. And I want to have hope that this world is going to be a better place when my one year old granddaughter is grown. But, I just have an ominous feeling that it won''t be.; Reply to this comment


by locutus5280 January 23, 2009 3:13 PM EST: Wow, how can anyone other than a frickin idiot think that a bill with the intent to keep radical Islamic terrorists off our soil is a bad idea! The posts from a lot of the libtards here reinforce to me what kind of war we are in. You are so far out of touch with reality that every time the word "bipartisanship" comes up, I instinctively have a gag reflex and feel like throwing up. There can be no bipartisanship with people that can''t get their heads out of their butts long enough to see that there is a growing group of people in the world that would like nothing better than to kill each one of us and destroy what little liberties we have left. I do not want these scumbags on U.S. soil being tried in our criminal courts as is they were petty criminals. With our incompetent court system, I can imagine them being let off the hook for some technicality (like not being read their rights after blowing up one of our soldiers) and then being released in the U.S. because no other nation wants them. Liberals may not care about their kids and family enough to want to protect them from people like this, but I do. What angers me the most is that someone%u2019s husband/wife/son/daughter in the military may have been killed because of the involvement of one of these low lifes. And you liberals don''t even seem to give a *** that bringing these animals onto our soil will be the ultimate slap in the face for their sacrifice.; Reply to this comment


by mikeant50 January 23, 2009 2:40 PM EST: If Republicans had put this much effort in the economy, they would be probably still be the majority party.; Reply to this comment


by fattyz2 January 23, 2009 1:08 PM EST: Don''t bother trying to reason with the libs, they''re suicidal. They want more planes to fly into buildings, and more unqualified people in office to make sure it''ll happen.

We have to do with them what we have to do with the terrorists, since they''re in cahoots!; Reply to this comment


by mikeant50 January 23, 2009 12:49 PM EST: If Republicans had put this much effort in the economy, they would be probably still be the majority party.; Reply to this comment