A provision to allow female guards to escort suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay is likely to remain in the fiscal 2017 defense policy bill that makes it to the president’s desk, Sen. Kelly Ayotte said on Wednesday.
The New Hampshire Republican told the Washington Examiner that she expects the plan to have support in the full Senate, which began its consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act on Wednesday, and it’s already passed the full House.
“I can’t imagine where anyone wouldn’t want to have this in the bill,” Ayotte said. “That would be sending the wrong message, especially when you think about it, we’ve now opened all combat positions to women, women who are very qualified. To allow a terrorist to have a say is pretty absurd.”
A military commission granted a request from the terrorists being held at Guantanamo Bay who are charged with committing the 9/11 attacks that they not be escorted by female guards because of their religious beliefs, a move Ayotte calls “outrageous.”
“It’s bad for morale there because obviously they worked hard to get the training for their jobs just like anyone else,” Ayotte said.
She also called the detainees’ claim “bogus,” since they regularly interact with other women at the detention center for other things, like receiving medal care, without any issues.
Ayotte’s amendment says that a qualified service member can’t be prevented from doing her “lawful duty” based solely on gender at Guantanamo Bay or any other facility in the future. She said it passed by voice vote in the committee, which holds its mark up in a closed session.
A similar provision made it into the House-passed version of the bill after it was introduced in the committee by Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz.
“What that tells me is it’s likely to stay in,” Ayotte said.
