WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 5351:

“I voted against this bill today because it is my firm belief that our top military leaders should decide how to deal with and where to house suspected terrorists—not Congress. A vote against this bill does not equate support for bringing suspected terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the United States, which is already prohibited by law. This politically-motivated and reckless proposal would ban the transfer of detainees to any country.”

“Any decision to transfer a detainee from Guantanamo Bay to another country must be vetted, under current law, by the Secretary of Defense, the Departments of Defense, State, Justice, and Homeland Security, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director of National Intelligence. It is unwise to tie the hands of our strongest military and national security leaders at a time when we face new and dynamic threats around the globe.”