Congress stabbed Obama in the back on closing Gitmo again
WASHINGTON — President Obama's 5-year-old campaign to close the federal prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, suffered a major setback as lawmakers finalizing the annual defense policy bill rejected steps toward shuttering the facility.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Monday that the final bill omits a provision giving the president the authority to transfer terror suspects to the United States if Congress signs off on a comprehensive plan to close the prison.
Levin had pushed for the authority and hailed it in May as creating "a path to close Guantanamo." With lawmakers rushing to complete the defense bill in this month's lame-duck session, Levin said proponents were unable to prevail.
"Our language ... (on Guantanamo) ... will not be in," Levin said.
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http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/capitol-hill/2014/12/01/obama-dealt-major-setback-in-closing-guantanamo/19759741/
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