He says the bill was an attempt to tie the President’s hands.
Brunswick, Md (KM) Democratic 6th District Congressman John Delaney is taking issue with comments made by his opponent regarding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
In a statement, Republican Amie Hober says Delaney’s vote against this legislation, which would temporarily bar the transfer of prisoners at Guantanamo, endangers constituents in the 6th District and the rest of the nation. “I am absolutely appalled at Congressman Delaney would put party politics ahead of national security and the safety of his district,” Hober said. “When John refuses to take action against terrorism, he puts the lives of his constituents and the American people at risk. It’s a shame that career-politician John Delaney did not have the courage that 12 other Democrats who voted for the bill had.”
“Those kind of statements that she’s making and other people are making show that they put party politics over national security,” Delaney fired back.
He said this legislation would put restraints on the President. “No one is proposing that the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay get let free in society,”: he said. “But tying the Administration’s hands to what they can do with those prisoners, whether they can be transferred to other maximum security facilities where they can’t be released, that’s what that bill is about.”
The legislation passed the House of Representatives last week by a 244-174 vote.
Delaney, who spoke to WFMD News while taking a bike ride through his district as part of his re-election campaign, tied Hober to GOP Presidential Candidate Donald Trump. “Mr. Trump, whom my opponent is a big, strong supporter of, if you listen to his national security posture, it’s really against the security of the United States, and peace in the world,” he said.
He said Trump’s security posture is about backing away from the world. “He wants retreat from our allies. He wants to retreat from NATO which has been the ost successful military alliance we’ve ever had as a nation. He wants to retreat from Asia which is an area of emerging threats, if you look what’s going on with North Korea,” says Delaney. He says that’s not the security posture he wants for the United States.
Delaney was also asked if Guantanamo Bay should be closed as a detention center. “I think the President has been pretty measured about this,” he said. “I think he wants to close it, but he wants to close it in a way that doesn’t affect our national security.”
Former Congressman Roscoe Bartlett also said the detention center at Guantanamo should be closed, agreeing that it’s been a good recruiting tool for terrorists.
By Kevin McManus