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The possibility that detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison could be housed in a mainland U.S. prison or released into the United States has raised concerns among members of Congress, particularly Republicans.

Rep. Howard Coble was among those questioning Attorney General Eric Holder when he appeared before the House Judiciary Committee last week.

“Given the choices, I would opt for them to remain in custody at Gitmo,” Coble said of the Guantanamo detainees. He called it a “mistake” to close the prison there. “We have a sizable financial investment there. It’s obviously secure.”

Roughly 240 prisoners remain at the American base on Cuba, many with ties to terrorist groups, according to administration officials.

President Barack Obama signed an order calling for the base to be closed on his second day in office, fulfilling a campaign pledge. But the administration does not have definite plans on how to deal with the prisoners once the base is closed.

“The president has more or less painted himself in a corner on the campaign trail, and he realizes now it’s easier said than done with some of those promises,” Coble said.

When Coble queried Holder, it was to ask about reports that if detainees were released into the United States they could be put into welfare programs. Holder said they would not.

Although Republicans have been the most vocal on the issue, Democrats also seemed worried about what is to be done with the prisoners.

As part of an appropriations bill that passed the House last week and dealt mainly with funding for the wars in Iraq and Afganistan, Democratic leaders added a ban on moving detainees to the United States until two months after the Obama administration outlines a plan for handling those individuals. That amendment headed off a Republican effort to set even higher barriers to such a move.

Rep. Mel Watt, a Democrat from Charlotte, said that he was satisfied with Holder’s answers.

“He’s not going to allow anything to happen that will jeopardize the American people,” Watt said. “I have to take him at his word until I see what proposal they come out with.”

Other members of the Congressional delegation were less sanguine. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Winston-Salem Republican, announced she was working on legislation to block Guantanimo detainees from entering the United States.

“Today Guantanamo Bay holds scores of the world’s most dangerous terrorists, and President Obama has made it clear that he plans to close it down within the next nine months,” Foxx said in a written release. “Unfortunately it is not clear where the terrorists held at Guantanamo will be placed.”

VOTES

Among the votes taken in Congress last week:

The House approved HR 2346, a supplemental appropriations bill, which is now awaiting action by the Senate. The measure provides $84.3 billion in combat-related funding and another $12 billion for non-military programs. Items range from payments to troops whose enlistments were involuntarily extended after 9/11 and money for dealing with a pandemic flu epidemic. The vote was 368-60.
 

Democrats Brad Miller and Mel Watt voted yes, as did Republicans Howard Coble and Virginia Foxx.

The Senate rejected an amendment to HR 627 that would have established a 15 percent cap on credit card interest rates.
The votes was 33 for and 60 against. North Carolina senators Republican Richard Burr and Democrat Kay Hagan, voted against the measure.

An amendment to the credit card bill prevents the Secretary of Interior from writing or enforcing regulations that would prohibit people from carrying loaded guns in national parks. It passed 67-29.
Burr and Hagan voted in favor.

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com