Manchin Statement on President's Plan to Close Guantanamo Bay
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) today released the following statement on President Obama’s plan to close the Guantanamo Bay facility.
“After leading a bipartisan fact-finding mission to Guantanamo Bay in 2014, I came to the belief that the detention facility there should be shut down because it does nothing to make our country safer and costs us millions in tax dollars. In 2015, American taxpayers spent $445 million to operate the facility, which now houses 91 detainees. That is, outrageously, about $4.9 million per terrorist. This should not be a political issue, but simply a question of how do we keep Americans safe without wasting tax dollars.
“I will review the President’s plan for closing the prison once he submits details on where they will be held and how much it will cost the American taxpayers. I truly believe that Congress must debate what we do with the prisoners because the status quo is not an acceptable solution. We must work together to find a solution that protects Americans and responsibly manages our tax dollars.”
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