(Washington, DC) Yesterday U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) issued the following statement after the Senate Armed Services Committee completed markup for S.165, the Detaining Terrorists to Protect America Act of 2015, a bill to restrict the transfer of detainees from Guantanamo Bay. The Iowa Senator joins 25 cosponsors to the bill originally introduced by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Richard Burr (R-NC).
“Guantanamo Bay is home to some of the most dangerous terrorists and their release to another location poses a serious threat to America and our allies,” said Ernst. “We face increasingly complex and dangerous terrorist threats, and transferring these detainees to the United States or elsewhere only further jeopardizes the safety and security of our country. This legislation includes necessary measures to enhance our national security, and time to develop a long-term strategy.”
The Detaining Terrorists to Protect America Act of 2015 heads to the Senate chamber for full consideration.
Here is what the bill accomplishes:
- Suspends international transfers of medium to high risk detainees
- Prevents detainee transfers to Yemen
- Establishes higher standards for international transfers of detainees
- Extends the current ban on detainee transfers to the United States
- Prohibits any construction or modifications of US families to house detainees
- Increases transparency of the risk assessments of current detainees
