WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) today issued the following statement after President Barack Obama submitted a vague and dangerous plan to Congress to close the detention center at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Gitmo). 

“The detention center at Guantanamo Bay is a state-of-the-art facility that is well-equipped to handle the world’s most dangerous terrorists. Closing Gitmo and transferring detainees to American soil creates needless national security risks and poses a threat to American citizens. This is not what the American people want. That’s why Congress has rejected the President’s proposal time and time again. At a time when we are fighting global terrorism, holding these dangerous terrorists domestically is not the message our citizens want to hear. I believe that we must keep Gitmo open and I will continue to fight the President’s efforts to close this facility and transfer terrorists to U.S. soil.” 

Boozman has been a longtime advocate for ensuring the military prison at Gitmo remains open. In 2011 he visited the detention facilities. He supported the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act that prohibits Gitmo detainees from being moved to U.S. soil. President Obama signed this into law.