Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my colleague, Mr. Lamborn's amendment.

I am strongly opposed to the President using funds to survey potential sites within the United States at which to hold terrorists that are currently held at Guantanamo Bay.

Congress has passed numerous times, and the President has signed into law, legislation which explicitly prohibits the President from using taxpayer funds to bring terrorists to our soil and close the detention facility. Despite the law, the President has made his intent clear to close Guantanamo Bay and bring these terrorists to our States and local communities.

In the face of opposition from the American people and Congress and State Governors, the President continues to move forward with bringing these terrorists to our soil.

Last month, Governor Haley from my State of South Carolina testified before the Homeland Security Committee. She sent a letter to President Obama opposing terrorists coming to South Carolina, and never got a response from the administration and was never included in the initial talks. The President refuses to work with State Governors and with this Congress.

Mr. Chairman, no State should be a terrorist dumping ground. No State, whether South Carolina, Colorado, or any other, should be a terrorist dumping ground. Doing so would only make our communities the most high-profile terrorist targets in the world.

As Members of Congress, we must use every tool at our disposal to prevent the President from disregarding the law and the will of the people, including our power of the purse, by not allowing taxpayer dollars going towards bringing terrorists into this country.

I fully support this, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.

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