WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, released the following statement today in response to the Obama Administration’s proposal to close the military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay:

“After considering this issue carefully, having numerous conversations with military and intelligence community officials, and visiting the facility myself, I am convinced that closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility is in our national security interests. The facility serves as a recruitment and propaganda tool for terrorist organizations, and its continued operation complicates relationships with some allies and partners. Furthermore, maintaining the facility comes at the exorbitant cost of nearly $3 million per detainee per year to American taxpayers. However, as I have long said, closing the detention facility without a well-defined and executable plan in place would be a mistake.

“I intend to carefully review the Administration’s proposal and gather the input of experts as I work to assess whether the plan presents a credible and acceptable path to closing the facility in a manner that is consistent with U.S and international law and with our national security interests. And I hope that throughout this debate, Congress will be able to put aside partisanship to have a thoughtful conversation that focuses on the merits of the issue.”

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