Washington, D.C.- While speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, a member of the Senate Democratic leadership, sullied the reputation of those serving in our nation’s Armed Forces. In a comment concerning the detainee camp at the Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Sen. Durbin said of the United States military, “You would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime—Pol Pot or others—that had no concern for human beings.”

Congressman Jones issued the following statement regarding Durbin’s comments:

“Over 1.6 million people perished in the brutal Soviet gulags. Pol Pot’s genocide was responsible for at least a million deaths. Hitler starved, gassed and executed millions more in the name of ethnic cleansing. It is an absolute disgrace for a U.S. Senator to associate those maniacal killers with the brave men and women of our armed forces. Senator Durbin should retract his comments and immediately issue a formal apology.”

For additional information or to schedule an interview with Congressman Walter B. Jones please contact Kathleen Joyce at (202) 225-3415.