U.S. Sen.Cory Gardner. (Photo By Brent Lewis/The Denver Post)
WASHINGTON —U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado joined with four of his Republican colleagues on Tuesday in introducing a symbolic resolution criticizingeffortsby the administration to close the detention facility atGuantanamo Bay.
The measure—which would not carry the force of law even if it passes the upper chamber— aims to express the “sense of the Senate” that it would of terrorism suspects fromGuantanamo Bay in Cuba to the U.S. mainland.
“The closure of Guantanamo Bay presents a significant security challenge to the United States and our allies, and this resolution reaffirms my strong opposition to the Obama Administration s proposal,” said Gardner in a statement.
Gardnerintroduced the resolution with Republican senatorsPat Roberts andJerry Moran of Kansas, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Roy Blunt of Missouri. The Colorado lawmaker has been particularly vocal about the issue because of the potential ofGuantanamo Bay detainees being transferred to his home state.
Last week, Gardner traveled toGuantanamo Bay and left the facility with the opinionthat the U.S. should send there.
President Obama Barack Obama has called for the facility’s closure because of its and the damage he saidit does to the reputation of the U.S. abroad.
“For many years, it s been clear that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security — it undermines it,” Obama said last month during his latest push to shutterGuantanamo Bay.
