Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (R, NC-10) released the following statement after President Obama announced plans to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay:

“Time and again Congress has passed—and President Obama has signed into law—legislation blocking the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to American soil. Yet today President Obama announced a nearly half a billion dollar plan to bring these hardened terrorists to our shores. 

“Fortunately for the American people—particularly those in the communities mentioned in the proposal—this plan is in violation of federal law and bipartisan majorities in Congress will work to stop it. Rather than attempting to fulfill a campaign promise which will make us less safe, President Obama should be focused on real national security threats like ISIS’ expansion into Africa and North Korea’s continued efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon.”