Obama signs defense policy bill, objects on Guantanamo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference, Friday, Dec. 16, 2016, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington.
President Barack Obama signed into law Friday a defense policy bill that authorizes $611 billion for the military in 2017, lauding provisions designed to sustain momentum in countering the Islamic State group while harshly criticizing Congress’s insistence on keeping open the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The legislation provides a 2.1 percent pay hike for the military and sets spending priorities and guidance for the current fiscal year. The funding for the programs is delivered through a separate spending bill.
Obama, who is vacationing in Hawaii, said the bill will provide vital benefits to military personnel and their families. He also said it improved flexibility for government agencies in countering cyber-attacks and adversaries’ use of drones.
But he was highly critical of several other provisions. Among them, Obama cited the continued operation of Guantanamo. He said spending hundreds of millions of dollars to keep fewer than 60 men in isolation undermines U.S. standing in the world and emboldens violent extremists.
Obama submitted a plan in February to close the detention facility. Instead, lawmakers are trying to keep the facility a permanent feature in the war on terrorism, the president said.
Over the last two years, the administration has transferred 73 detainees to other countries, and Obama said in a release that the efforts to transfer others will continue until his final day in office.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
“Unless the Congress changes course, it will be judged harshly by history,” Obama said.
Obama also said Congress failed to use the bill to reduce wasteful overhead or modernize military health care, which he said would exacerbate budget pressures facing the military in the years ahead.
14 responses to “Obama signs defense policy bill, objects on Guantanamo”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
last 2 years 73 detainees sent to other countries who will release them so they can kill more of our soldiers and US citizens good move you demon in the white house.
WH gotta save his bros.
Obama has such terrible judgement, he would rather please the far Left than keep Americans safe. These are the hardened terrorists that will go home heroes in their evil world, emboldened to continue their killing of innocents in their twisted idea of God. Please stop hurting America Mr President, just your last day in office vacationing and let President Elect Trump fix what you have so badly damaged in 8 long years.
lol, lets compare. Prior republican president allowed 9/11. Obama just 4 killed in an attack. Even if you removed 9/11 under that republican hero of security, G W Bush, there were many more killed in Benghazi type attacks than under Obama. It will be interesting to see how many die under the Donald. I am betting a lot more than Obama and sadly may give GW competition since he also shows the same respect for daily briefing memos.
Boots, give up.
Sick argument Boots.
Boots, just one comment about the daily intelligence memos. I do not believe you know that the sitting president, Obama, who is the only one who can act on the information, has attended less than half of the daily briefings and instead relies on written synopsis of the briefings. Please keep in mind that the president and only the president can act on the intelligence, whether he gets in in a formal briefing or in a written memo. Trump, on the other hand, who you say shows no respect for daily briefing memos, will not become president until January 20th. He may not be attending daily briefings, but you can be assured he is getting written intelligence reports for information only. However, there is not a darn thing he can do with it until be become President, and when he becomes President you will see just how wrong you are.
It’s an article of faith on the progressive left that keeping Gitmo emboldens violent extremists. What does embolden violent extremists is Barry Hussein’s misguided lead from behind strategy and his stubborn refusal to identify the perpetrators of world terrorism as practitioners of Islam.
He is evil, making bad decisions! Counting the days when he will no longer make these bozo the clown laws. No more vacations in Hawaii to create traffic. Good ridence!!!
Boots, give up.
The facility at Guantanamo is not simply a prison; it is prisoner of war (POW) facility. Under the rules of war, POW can be held until the war has ended. Obama’s retreat from the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan has not ended the war, and it does matter if Obama and Democrats say it has ended. It will end when both sides of the conflict agree to end it. I have not read or heard anything about Islamic terrorist organizations agreeing to end the war. They have instead move the battlefields to Europe and the United States. Anyone who does not see or understand this has their head in the sand or up their backside. The Guantanamo POW facility needs to stay open and filled up with more Islamic terrorists from wherever they are captured until the war officially ends.
A third have returned to the battlefield. Why in the world would we release terrorists (especially leaders)? Someone should ask Biden if he supports the decision; it will help end his political career.
Life has never been so good for the residents at Guantanamo. It is as close to Club Med as any of them will ever get. Free room and board, air conditioned lodging, halal foods, free medical care, great recreational facilities, a library, prayer room with padded carpets so they don’t injure their knees, no one shooting at them and best of all protection under the under the US Constitution granted to them by Obama.
The military personnel gets a 2.1% raise in 2017 — seniors get 0.3% increase in social security.
The federal workers get 2% raise in 2016 — seniors get 0.0% increase in social security.
What’s going on here Mr. Obama?