The House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines today to adversely report a Republican resolution that would require the Attorney General to provide the House with information about Guantanamo Bay detainees who are moved into the United States.
Lamar Smith (gov)
The panel voted 20 to 13 to send to the House calendar the resolution of inquiry sponsored by the committee’s ranking minority member, Lamar Smith (R-Texas). But the panel’s vote to report the resolution with a recommendation that it not be approved, coupled with the House Democratic leadership’s opposition to the measure, means that it is highly unlikely that the resolution will ever come to the floor.
Smith said at the panel’s markup today that the resolution would allow members of Congress to learn more about the rights of 9/11 “mastermind” Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other suspected terrorists who will be tried in a New York City federal court. Republicans have been critical of the decision, saying the move gives alleged terrorists more rights and poses a threat to national security.
“By trying the terrorists in civilian court, the administration is granting the 9/11 conspirators rights far beyond those provided under the Geneva Conventions, namely the full rights of domestic criminal defendants,” Smith said.
Panel Democrats said the resolution is redundant and would only unnecessarily burden the Justice Department. Appropriations legislation signed into law this summer includes provisions that require the president to provide a classified report on Guantanamo Bay detainees who are slated for transfer to the United States.
Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said at the markup that Obama administration officials have already testified before Congress on numerous occasions about Guantanamo Bay detainees.
“Because the administration has already been responsive in providing the relevant information, the proposed resolution is inappropriate,” Conyers said.
But because the resolution carried a “privileged” status — because it pertained to the rights of the House to obtain information — the committee had to take an action. Otherwise, any member could have sought to bring it to the floor, and afforded Republicans an opportunity to air their grievances before the C-SPAN cameras.
