HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner

House Republicans Set to Introduce “Keep Terrorists Out of America Act”

Later this morning, House Republicans will introduce the “Keep Terrorists Out of America Act” aimed at preventing the release of Guantanamo Bay terrorist prisoners within the United States. 

The bill states unequivocally that terrorists housed at the Guantanamo Bay facility should not be released or transferred into the United States.  An Agence France-Presse story published last night highlights additional details of the House Republican plan:

The proposal mandate[s] that no prisoner could be released or transferred into the United States unless the destination state’s governor and legislature sign off on the plan, a source familiar with the plan told AFP on condition of anonymity.

It would require Obama to give lawmakers the name of the detainee and their proposed destination in the United States, where the prisoners enjoy more legal protections than on the US military base in Cuba, the source said.

The Guantanamo Bay detention facility houses some of the world’s most hardened killers, including some of the very people who planned the horrific attacks on 9/11. 

The question of where to house detainees is now a sticking point because the Administration announced in January that it would close the prison within one year.  Americans do not want to live with terrorist-killers in their backyard, and releasing them back to their home countries has already proven dangerous to our troops.  In fact, as many as “60 former detainees have resurfaced on foreign battlefields,” according to a Fox News story, which also noted that, “The Taliban’s new top operations officer in southern Afghanistan had been a prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay detention center.”

Moreover, as The Wall Street Journal’s editorial today notes, releasing the terrorist detainees on U.S. soil will give activist judges the excuse they’ve longed for to grant terrorists the same rights as Americans:

[T]he antiwar left wants terrorists treated like garden-variety criminals in the civilian courts or maybe military courts martial…the Administration risks losing all control once enemy combatants set foot on formal U.S. soil, which the courts could determine entitles the terrorists to the same Constitutional protections as U.S. citizens.  One federal judge has already ordered that 17 detainees — the Uighurs, a Chinese ethnic minority — be released domestically.

Yet despite all of these facts, the Administration is intent on closing the Guantanamo detention facility - with no plan on where the terrorists held there will go.  House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has asked: “What is the Administration’s overarching plan to take on the terrorist threat and to keep America safe?” 

Americans are still waiting for an answer.  House Republicans, through the “Keep Terrorists Out of America Act,” seek to find one - and prevent terrorists from coming to American shores.

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Rep. Pete Hoekstra Talks CIA Memos & Democrats on “Morning Joe”

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) was on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this morning where he discussed the CIA memos and what Democrats knew about its interrogation program.

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Photo Album: Boehner-Led CODEL Visits Iraq and Afghanistan

Two weeks ago, Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) led a Congressional Delegation to Iraq and Afghanistan, highlighting the progress the United States and our allies have made in the region combating terrorism while recognizing the challenges that remain in both war-zones.  View the photo album on Flickr here.

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), Armed Services Committee Ranking Republican John McHugh (R-NY), Intelligence Committee Ranking Republican Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), and Reps. Tom Latham (R-IA) and Jo Bonner (R-AL) joined the trip.

Also while in Afghanistan, Leader Boehner discussed the progress in Iraq and Afghanistan with Fox News’ Chris Wallace. See the video here.

The American people owe a debt of gratitude to the American and Coalition troops who put their lives on the line every day in the defense of freedom.

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Boehner-Led Congressional Delegation Visits Afghanistan

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) visited Afghanistan Saturday and Sunday, continuing a six-member congressional delegation trip that began in Iraq last week.  The  delegation’s visit comes as renewed attention is focused on Afghanistan and the efforts of an international coalition - led by the United States - to root out terrorism and bring stability to the country.  House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), Armed Services Committee Ranking Republican John McHugh (R-NY), Intelligence Committee Ranking Republican Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), and Reps. Tom Latham (R-IA) and Jo Bonner (R-AL) joined the trip.

The delegation spent a day and a half in the country, first landing Saturday afternoon in the capital of Kabul.

Reps. McHugh, Hoekstra, Bonner, Latham, Boehner, and Cantor arrive in Kabul

The visit gave members the opportunity to gain an on-the-ground perspective of the daunting challenges the country faces.

Afghanistan is a poor, war-torn nation with a still largely agrarian economy that has been consumed by violence and brutality for centuries, and it lacks the human capital - with illiteracy rates reaching as high as 75 percent - to find success quickly.  U.S. Ambassador Bill Wood briefed the members on Saturday afternoon, providing an overview of the current situation, a brief history of the country and why it makes the task at hand even more difficult, and a current state-of-play on the government led by President Hamid Karzai.   These facts make clear, the Ambassador told the members, that Afghanistan is a much more complex and longer-term challenge than Iraq.

The new Obama Administration is undertaking a strategic review of the situation in Afghanistan and there is broad consensus that more troops are needed, especially in southern Afghanistan where the Taliban has a more significant presence.  The members were briefed on the security situation by General David McKiernan - head of U.S. Forces as well as NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, the coalition of 39 nations with a presence in Afghanistan.

Pakistan and the tribal areas along the border of Afghanistan that have become a sanctuary for terrorists was a key concern expressed by the members during this briefing.  General McKiernan updated the members on security efforts along the border and the fight to root out terrorist strongholds.

On Sunday, the members visited Camp Bastion, the British-built base in the Helmand province of Southern Afghanistan.  Helmand was described as ground zero in the fight against the Taliban, and is where some two-thirds of the world’s opium is produced.  More U.S forces are expected to be deployed to Helmand in the coming months.  One of the highlights of the trip was the members’ meeting with Helmand Provincial Governor Gulab Mangal.

Leader Boehner meets Helmand Provincial Governor Gulab Mangal

The Governor is credited with beginning to make a real difference in fighting government corruption, combating the rampant opium drug trade in the province, and bringing the local government and its services closer to the people.

Also at Camp Bastion, Leader Boehner and the members ate lunch with the troops at Helmand and visited with those from their local districts.  It was a another reminder of the enormous sacrifice our men and women in uniform make every day, even as they are apart from their families, friends, and loved ones.

What’s the takeaway on Afghanistan?  This challenge is infinitely more complex and will take more time to achieve real, sustained results.  One thing we know for sure: Leader Boehner, the other members on this trip, and all House Republicans are committed to doing everything possible to support our men and women in uniform and give them all the resources they need to succeed in their mission here.

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House GOP Raises Questions About Closing Guantanamo

Today on Fox News, Leader Boehner reacted to President Obama’s executive order to close the terrorist detention camp at Guantanamo Bay:

Leader Boehner and House Republicans have serious reservations about closing the terrorist detention camp.  “The key question is where do you put these terrorists?” Leader Boehner said.

The Leader issued a statement today regarding elaborating upon his concern:

The Guantanamo Bay prison is filled with the worst of the worst - terrorists and killers bent on murdering Americans and other friends of freedom around the world.  If it is closed, where will they go, will they be brought to the United States, and how will they be secured?  Will they be released by the courts, despite reports that more than 60 former terrorist detainees have already returned to battlefields to fight us again? Unfortunately, in briefings yesterday the new Administration did not have any real answers to these concerns.

Just as important, if a terrorist detainee is brought to the United States that terrorist is automatically afforded more constitutional rights than U.S. military personnel under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.  That only increases the threat that a judge will release the detainee into the U.S. population.  There are also serious questions about whether the Army Field Manual, while appropriate to guide soldiers on the battlefield, is best suited for professionally-administered lawful interrogations.  Republicans want to work with our President to address these national security concerns, but we should not gamble with the safety and security of the American people and our troops on the battlefield.  It would be irresponsible to close this terrorist detainee facility until these important questions are answered.

Recently, the Associated Press ran a story entitled, “Gitmo detainees rejoin fight against U.S.,” which states that:

Terrorism suspects who have been held but released from Guantánamo Bay are increasingly returning to the fight against the United States and its allies, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Sixty-one detainees released from the U.S. Navy base prison in Cuba are believed to have rejoined the fight, said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, citing data from December. That’s up from 37 as of March, he said.

Others share the House Republicans’ concerns.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Washington Post Op-Ed: Republicans’ Road Back

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/06/AR2008110602568.html

While Republicans are disappointed by Tuesday’s results, we respect the American people’s decision and pledge to work with President-elect Barack Obama when it is in the best interest of our nation. Some Democrats and pundits may want to read Tuesday’s results as a repudiation of conservatism — a sign that Republicans should give Democrats on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue a free ride. I don’t see it that way, and neither should Republicans across the country.

The next four years are critical to the future of our families, our economy and our country, and we have a responsibility to rebuild our party by fighting for the principles of freedom, opportunity, security and individual liberty — the principles upon which the GOP was founded. Recommitting ourselves to these principles means two things: vigorously fighting a far-left agenda that is out of step with the wishes of the vast majority of Americans and, more important, promoting superior Republican alternatives that prove that we offer a better vision for our country’s future.

America is still a center-right country. This election was neither a referendum in favor of the left’s approach to key issues nor a mandate for big government. Obama campaigned by masking liberal policies with moderate rhetoric to make his agenda more palatable to voters. Soon he will seek to advance these policies through a Congress that was purchased by liberal special interests such as unions, trial lawyers and radical environmentalists, and he’ll have a fight on his hands when he does so.

In record numbers, Americans voted on Tuesday for a skillful presidential nominee promising change, but “change” should not be confused with a license to raise taxes, drive up wasteful government spending, weaken our security, or give more power to Washington, Big Labor bosses and the trial bar. Americans did not vote for higher taxes to fund a redistribution of wealth; drastic cuts in funding for our troops; the end of secret ballots for workers participating in union elections; more costly obstacles to American energy production; or the imposition of government-run health care on employers and working families.

Republicans have a responsibility to offer a better way. We must reaffirm Americans’ faith in our party by reminding them why ours traditionally has been a party of reform rooted in freedom and security. This will not happen overnight. We must make the case one issue at a time, offering solutions to our country’s biggest challenges to earn back the American people’s trust and rebuild our majority.

Our most immediate challenge is creating new jobs and getting our economy moving in the right direction again. While Republicans have put forward a plan for economic growth and job creation, congressional Democrats are proposing hundreds of billions of dollars in new government spending masquerading as “economic stimulus.” To rebuild 401(k) plans and keep jobs here at home, we’ll offer tax relief for families and small businesses. And to lower fuel costs and create as many as a million new jobs, we’ll offer a comprehensive plan for more American energy.

We’ll also offer health-care reforms that empower patients and doctors, promote a strong military that keeps us on offense to protect the American people, and demand fiscal and ethical reforms to fix a broken Washington tarnished by scandals on both sides of the aisle. We have a responsibility to the American people to make sure our ideals are heard, and we expect these to be vigorous debates.

I wasn’t born a Republican. I grew up outside Cincinnati as one of 12 children. Our dad ran a bar. I became a Republican because I believe that if you work hard and believe in yourself, there is nothing you can’t achieve. That’s the American dream. And I look forward to leading Republicans in fighting for it. If we return to our roots, to our belief in freedom, opportunity, security and individual liberty, our party will come back stronger than ever.

In Congress, Republicans will work across party lines to find solutions to the immense challenges that confront our nation. But we’ll also stand firmly against policies that violate our principles — the same principles held by the vast majority of American families. We Republicans must renew our nation’s trust in us by offering better alternatives rooted in the reforms that define our party and by fighting for the American dream.

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Baird on his Fellow Democrats: “We ought to just say [the surge] worked.”

In a Seattle Times column today entitled “Iraq Buildup Succeeds, Brian Baird Still an Outcast,” Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) speaks about his support for the surge last year:

“‘We ought to just say that it worked. People were understandably skeptical of the administration at the time. But we have to acknowledge reality. Do you stay with a political position because it’s popular even if it doesn’t square with the facts?’”

“Baird’s view is that if ‘the people in our party advocating for an immediate withdrawal of troops last year had gotten their way, it would have been disastrous for the U.S.’”

On the response from his Democrat colleagues, Baird said:

“‘After all that extraordinary outrage directed at me, not one person has called me up and said ‘Hey, Brian, it looks like you might have had a point after all,’ said Baird, in Denver for his party’s national convention this week.”

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Links for May 6, 2008: Democrats’ Broken Promises

Democrats Plan Breaking Deficit Discipline Promise Again (AP)

Democrats are finding more excuses to ignore the promise they made when they took over Congress that they wouldn’t pass laws increasing the budget deficit…They’ve already swelled the deficit by $200 billion since December

War funding would break Dem promises (Politico)

In her campaign pamphlet in 2006, which is still posted on the speaker’s website, Pelosi declared that “bills should be developed following full hearings and open subcommittee and committee markups, with appropriate referrals to other committees.”

Democratic leadership aides don’t dispute the fact that the majority has been unable to keep this promise of open committee debate…

Members outraged over flexibility of pay-go rules (The Hill)

“We’re completely overacting,” said Rep. Jim Cooper, a Blue Dog from Tennessee and a senior Democrat on the Budget Committee. “Everything’s an emergency. And an emergency’s a perfect lobbying excuse to get your bill passed that you couldn’t get through in regular order.

 

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Podcast Update

Audio from the April 9th Republican Leadership Stakeout can now be found on the House Republican Leader Podcast. If iTunes is installed on your computer, you can click here to subscribe.

MORE: Past episodes and more information on Podcasts

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Which Side of the Border Fence are Democrats On?

News reports today indicate that House Democrats will attempt to block the construction of a border fence designed to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S.:

Fourteen House Democrats, including eight committee chairmen, said yesterday that they will file a brief supporting a legal challenge to the Bush administration’s plans to finish building 470 miles of fencing and other barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border by the end of the year.

This is in sharp contrast to the rhetoric we’ve heard previously from the Democratic leadership:

“Our first responsibility to the American people is their safety. We must secure our borders and enforce our laws…” (Pelosi Press Release, 3/22/07)

“I believe there is virtually unanimous agreement in the Congress that we must secure our borders and know who is entering our country.” – Then-Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Press Release, May 25, 2006

“Democrats are for the rule of law, we want to get border security right. . .We would do what’s necessary to protect our borders …” Then-House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Press Release, December 15, 2005

While Democrats break their promises on border security, House Republicans will continue fighting tosecure our borders from illegal entry and enforce our laws swiftly and effectively.

MORE:
Discharge Petition on Bipartisan Border Security Measure (3/26/08)
Boehner Backs Drake Discharge Petition to Force Vote on Bipartisan Border Security Bill (3/11/08)

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