House Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, commended the White House’s decision to delay sending Congress a plan to close Guantanamo Bay, noting the president lacked the authority to close the detention center from the beginning.
“Going back to the drawing board on a vague, ill considered ‘plan’ is a good start. Once again, the President has been forced to confront the hard reality of Islamic terrorism and admit that closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay isn’t as easy as it sounds on the campaign trail,” according to a statement released Wednesday night.
In a hearing earlier this week, Attorney General Loretta Lynch also stated President Obama does not have jurisdiction over the facility.
The committee told the administration it will consider its ideas on closing the center next year, noting “until then, he should resist the urge to score points on such a serious matter.”
