U.S. House of Representatives, House Armed Services Committee

Smith’s Statement on Passage of National Defense Authorization Act

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 01:00:00 EST

Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement after the House passed the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act:

Republicans Vote to Keep GTMO Open

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:30:00 EST

Washington D.C. - House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith, made the following statement after the House voted down an amendment to close the detention facility located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba:

Majority of Republicans Fail to Protect Constitution Rights

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 06:30:00 EST

Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith, made the following statement after the House failed to pass an amendment designed to prevent the indefinite detention if individuals captured on US soil – including US citizens:

MYTH V. FACT: The Truth About Detention at Guantanamo Bay

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

This week, the House of Representatives will debate closing the detention facility located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Leading up to the debate, it is important to correct some of the distortions that have built up over the past 11 years. This document is designed to lay out the facts regarding GTMO.

Ranking Member Adam Smith’s Six-Point Plan to Close GTMO

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 02:00:00 EST

Washington D.C. (Link) – This week, as the House considers the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith will offer an amendment providing an effective strategy to close the detention facility located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Keeping the unnecessary facility open comes with significant national security and financial costs. The amendment is co-sponsored by Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Congressman Jim Moran.

Reps. Smith, Gibson, Udall Lead Bipartisan Effort Against Indefinite Detention

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:30:00 EST

Washington D.C. (Link) – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith, Republican Congressman Chris Gibson, and Senator Mark Udall, who serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced legislation to ensure that any individual detained on U.S. soil under the Authorization of Military Force (AUMF) has access to due process. The bills would repeal the provision in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 that requires mandatory military custody of any individual captured on U.S. soil and suspected of terrorism. Their bills aim to prevent the erosion of our civil liberties as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution while strengthening our national security.

HASC Majority Votes to Allow Discrimination in Armed Services

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST

Washington D.C. (Link) – Today, during the House Armed Services Committee mark up of the FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act, Republicans proposed and passed an amendment that would allow members of the Armed Services and Chaplains to discriminate and slander the beliefs of others. The amendment would seriously undermine good order and discipline in the United States military.

Cold War Mentality Permeates GOP, Leads to Wasteful Spending

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

Washington D.C. – Based on an outdated-Cold War view of the world, House Republicans added nearly a half of a billion dollars in wasteful spending to the FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Bill.

Ranking Member Smith’s Statement on Appointment of Susan Rice

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST

Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith, made the following statement in response to Ambassador Rice’s appointment as National Security Adviser:

Smith’s Opening Statement at FY 2014 Nation Defense Authorization Act Markup

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST

Washington D.C. – House Armed Service Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (WA-09) made the following opening statement at today’s full committee meeting to markup the FY 2014 Nation Defense Authorization Act:

The Cost of Detention at Guantanamo Bay

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST

Today, the House Armed Services Committee will debate the merits of continuing to operate an expensive and unnecessary detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO). Recently, Ranking Member Adam Smith authored an oped, “An Exit Strategy from Detention at Guantanamo,” laying out the reasons why the facility should be closed.

Beyond the national security reasons for closing the facility, there are persuasive cost justifications for closing the facility as well. For example, we are currently spending approximately $1.6 million per detainee each year at Guantanamo Bay, compared to $34,046 per inmate at a High Security Federal Prison. Below, you will find a more detailed breakdown of what it costs to maintain and operate GTMO, some of the historical costs associated with the facility, and, in comparison, what it costs per inmate at a High Security Federal Prison. Additionally, both the Associated Press (story) and Reuters (story) wrote extensive stories laying out the exorbitant cost of running and maintaining the facility.

As the committee debates what should be done to close the facility, Smith will propose multiple amendments designed to give the President the flexibility needs. Specifically, Smith will move to strike section 1035 of the FY 2014 National Defense Authorization, which restrict the President’s ability to transfer detainees.

Additionally, the Chairman’s mark provides $61 million more than the Department of Defense had planned to spend on replacing existing temporary infrastructure to instead construct permanent facilities at Guantanamo Bay. At a time when our country is facing the negative effects of sequestration, we should be working to close this expensive and unnecessary facility rather than seeking to spend additional funds to make it permanent.

At a minimum, prior to proceeding with construction of replacement facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Members should have a full accounting of the costs required to keep Guantanamo Bay open, including detention operations and future infrastructure investments. For this reason, Congressman Rob Andrews will offer an amendment to condition funding for military construction at Guantanamo Bay on Congress receiving a report on the historical and future costs of operating and maintain Guantanamo Bay. The amendment would also reduce the amount of funding authorized for construction at Guantanamo Bay by $61 million so no permanent facilities are authorized for construction.

Annual Cost of Detention Operations at Guantanamo Bay

Budget Category	FY2013
Detention Operations	$79,000,000
Linguists at Guantanamo Bay	$13,625,000
Operations & Maintenance, Army (OCO)	$80,502,900
Office of Military Commissions	$12,625,000
Office of Military Commission (NCR)	$68,871,074
Office of Military Commission (USARSO)	$9,564,000
TOTAL	$264,187,974

Annual Cost Per Detainee (166 detainees)	$1,591,493

Source: Department of Defense

Annual Cost Per Inmate in High Security Federal Prison

Fiscal Year	FY2008	FY2009	FY2010	FY2011	FY2012
Annual Cost Per Inmate	$27,924	$32,119	$33,858	$34,629	$34,046

Source: CRS Report: The Federal Prison Population Buildup: Overview, Policy Changes, Issues, and Options. January 22, 2013.

Historical Construction Costs at Guantanamo Bay

Project	Amount
Detention Facility PH I (408 Cells)	$20,643,000
Detention Facility PH II (204 Cells)	$13,374,000
Detention Facility PH III (204 Cells)	$18,200,000
Detention Facility PH IV (192 Cells)	$4,472,000
JTF Military Commission Complex	$21,740,000
JTF Troop Support	$8,500,000
JTF Interrogations/Interview	$17,860,000
Planning and Design	$1,800,000
Psychiatric Ward	$3,050,000
Camp 6 Detention Facility (220 Cells)	$36,000,000
Radio Range Security Fence	$4,400,000
Classified Project	$1,800,000
Expeditionary Legal Complex	$3,600,000
TOTAL	$155,439,000

Source: U.S. Army: GTMO Contract Actions Spreadsheet Analysis. January 27, 2010

FY2014 Proposed Construction Costs at Guantanamo Bay

MILCON Project	Authorized in NDAA	Cost of Temporary Facility
Seaside Galley	$12,000,000	$12,000,000
High Value Detainee Facility	$52,000,000	$52,000,000
Medical Support Facility	$11,800,000	$11,800,000
Communications Network Facility	$11,600,000	$11,600,000
Barracks (496 Person)	$94,000,000*	$68,000,000
Barracks (352 Person)	$66,000,000*	$31,000,000
TOTAL	$247,400,000	$186,400,000

*The Chairman’s mark authorizes an increase in scope above what the Department of Defense had planned in order to make these facilities permanent.

Ranking Member Smith’s Statement on Release of Full Committee Mark

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 01:30:00 EST

Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (WA-09) made the following statement:

Ranking Member Adam Smith’s Statement on President’s Speech

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), released the following statement in response to the President’s speech on the Administration’s counter-terrorism efforts:

An Exit Strategy From Detention at Guantanamo

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:00:00 EST

An Exit Strategy From Detention at Guantanamo

By Adam Smith

It is time to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO). Until it is closed, it will remain a symbol of attempts to avoid the rule of law. While the detainees are treated humanely and in a manner consistent with international law, al-Qaeda continues to evoke GTMO when rallying extremists to its cause. Hunger strikes, health care problems of an aging detainee population, and excessive costs are currently the most visible problems at Guantanamo Bay. Until GTMO is closed, the United States’ moral authority in upholding its values and promoting human rights will continue to suffer. Kenneth Wainstein, a senior national security lawyer at the Department of Justice Office under President George W. Bush, recently summarized GTMO’s status well: "The situation is not sustainable. We need an exit strategy."

The Bush Administration argued that detainees should be placed at GTMO to ensure public safety, to limit the costs of their detention, and to assert murky legal distinctions regarding their status. These reasons no longer make sense, if they ever did.

Detaining suspected terrorists on U.S. soil does not jeopardize our security. We hold hundreds of dangerous terrorists in prisons in the United States, and none of them have escaped. Current long-term residents of the Florence, Colorado, “supermax” prison include Ramzi Yousef (for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing), Omar Abdel-Rahman (for plotting to blow up New York City landmarks), and Richard Reid (the al-Qaida ``shoe bomber'').

It is argued that detaining and, when appropriate, trying terrorists in the United States are expensive undertakings. They are, but detaining and trying GTMO detainees in the United States would be substantially more affordable than doing so at GTMO. Per capita, GTMO may be the most expensive detention facility in the world, with costs spiraling upward. Some estimates have put the cost at about $1.5 million per inmate. Additionally, the Department of Defense is now requesting hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade the “temporary” facilities at GTMO. Given the Administration’s desire to close the facility, carrying out expensive upgrades to temporary facilities at GTMO makes no sense, especially when better alternatives are available.

Some also argue that the GTMO detainees should not be tried in the Federal Court System because they will be afforded the same rights as American citizens. This is a bogus argument. The Supreme Court has repeatedly made it clear that GTMO detainees are, and will remain, under the supervision of the federal courts. More importantly, the Federal Court System, which has tried and convicted more than 400 defendants for violations of international terrorism laws, is one of our most powerful tools in prosecuting suspected terrorists.

If there are no benefits to holding detainees at GTMO, what are the costs to the United States? First, the United States appears disingenuous asking the rest of the world to uphold human rights, while it operates what many perceive to be an institution designed to evade the rule of law. Second, the perception of an oppressive United States continues to fire resentment around the world and to spur our enemies toward aggression. Third, GTMO affects our ability to coordinate counterterrorism efforts with our allies because they don’t want any of their national citizens sent to GTMO.

How should we close GTMO? First and foremost, Congress must remove the unreasonable restrictions it has placed on the Executive Branch regarding the transfer of GTMO detainees and the President should submit a plan to close the facility. Removing these unreasonable restrictions would allow the Administration to gradually reduce the detainee population and develop a sensible detention policy. As Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, recently argued, we do it by returning those who can be returned to their home countries to be confined or monitored in a safe and secure manner. We do it by creating an office in the White House charged with effecting these transfers. We try those detainees who need to be prosecuted, either by our able civilian court system or by military commissions. Finally, we hold whoever must be held off the battlefield by detaining them at secure facilities in the United States.

We can reduce the detainee population by changing the unreasonable congressional prohibitions on detaining and trying GTMO detainees in the United States. There are currently three detainees at GTMO who have been convicted by military commissions. Now that they have been convicted, why not have them serve their sentences in Federal prisons?

Detaining enemy combatants in the United States, who need to be kept off the battlefield but who can’t be tried or responsibly transferred, can be done according to transparent and reviewable procedures involving judges and counsel, not just untrained military officers. Start the interagency periodic review process that has been stalled. Review the justification for continued detention annually. Let the world see what we are doing. Continue to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross full access to detainees and allow other NGOs more access.

Finally, we should lead the effort to create an international framework for detention, not hide from it. The threat from al Qaeda and their allies is unlikely to go away anytime soon, so it is vital that we get this right.

GTMO was never a good idea. It is an even worse idea now. Let’s start the process to close GTMO now.

Representative Adam Smith (WA-9) is the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Ranking Member Adam Smith Sends Letter to President on GTMO

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:00:00 EST

Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), sent President Obama a letter declaring his support for closing the detention facility located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and calling for a number of specific actions

Ranking Member Adam Smith’s Statement on Benghazi Briefing

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:30:00 EST

Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), released the following statement prior to the committee’s four-hour briefing, which begins at noon today, on the Department of Defense’s response to the tragedy in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11th:

Ranking Member Adam Smith Statement on Fort Hood Allegations

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:30:00 EST

Washington D.C. - House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), made the following statement regarding allegations against a service member who was as a sexual assault prevention and response coordinator at Fort Hood:

Ranking Member Adam Smith’s Statement on DoD Furloughs

Tue, 14 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), released the following statement in response to the Pentagon’s plans to furlough civilian employees to pay for budget cuts under sequestration:

“The furloughs announced by the Department of Defense highlight another negative effect of sequestration. As this committee has said for almost two years, cutting government spending through sequestration will undermine our military readiness and hurt hard-working families. Today's announcement once again proves that our assessment was accurate and that Congress must act to remove sequestration.”

Smith Discusses Closing Guantanamo on MSNBC

Wed, 01 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Washington D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith, went on MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell to discuss closing the detention facility located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Ranking Member Smith has been a vocal supporter of shuttering the facility.

Ranking Member Adam’s Smith Supports President’s Call to Close GTMO

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:30:00 EST

Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith, made the following statement in response to the President’s comments on closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: