Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, commented on the White House's decision to delay sending Congress a plan to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay:
"Once again, the President has been forced to confront the hard reality of Islamic terrorism and admit that closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay isn't as easy as it sounds on the campaign trail. Going back to the drawing board on a vague, ill considered 'plan' is a good start. It is also important that he admit that he has no authority to unilaterally close the facility, as Attorney General Lynch did this week.
The defense authorization bill we have sent back to the President will compel him to tell the American people the truth about the challenges of closing GTMO. Next year, he will have to lay out the location and costs of new facilities, how he would keep Americans safe, and what he would do with new terrorist captures. It's another chance to make his case, but with specificity this time. Until then, he should resist the urge to score points on such a serious matter."
