In December, the Obama administration signaled its intention to move some federal prisoners as well as detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois.

However, on May 19 the House Armed Services Committee "unanimously approved a defense bill for 2011 that bans spending money to build or modify any facility inside the United States to house Guantánamo detainees," the New York Times reported. These are the 61 members of the House Armed Services Committee. I don't know who was absent from Wednesday's meeting, where the defense authorization bill passed by a 59 to 0 vote.

At TalkLeft, Jeralyn posted an excerpt from the bill summary:

The Committee firmly believes that the construction or modification of any facility in the U.S. to detain or imprison individuals currently being held at Guantanamo must be accompanied by a thorough and comprehensive plan that outlines the merits, costs, and risks associated with utilizing such a facility. No such plan has been presented to date. The bill prohibits the use of any funds for this purpose. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Defense to present Congress with a report that adequately justifies any proposal to build or modify such a facility in the future.

Last fall prominent Iowa Republicans fanned fears about terrorists in the heartland as a political weapon against President Obama and Representative Bruce Braley (D, IA-01), who represents the Iowa counties closest to Thomson, Illinois. At the time, Braley expressed support for the plan to convert the Illinois facility, saying his constituents "have told me with a resounding voice they want these jobs to come to their area." But presumably many Democrats on the Armed Services Committee didn't want to deal with the politics of this issue during an election year.

The federal government still plans to purchase and renovate the Thomson Correctional Center to use for federal prisoners, with or without detainees from Guantanamo.

In December, the Obama administration signaled its intention to move some federal prisoners as well as detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois.

However, on May 19 the House Armed Services Committee "unanimously approved a defense bill for 2011 that bans spending money to build or modify any facility inside the United States to house Guantánamo detainees," the New York Times reported. These are the 61 members of the House Armed Services Committee. I don't know who was absent from Wednesday's meeting, where the defense authorization bill passed by a 59 to 0 vote.

At TalkLeft, Jeralyn posted an excerpt from the bill summary:

The Committee firmly believes that the construction or modification of any facility in the U.S. to detain or imprison individuals currently being held at Guantanamo must be accompanied by a thorough and comprehensive plan that outlines the merits, costs, and risks associated with utilizing such a facility. No such plan has been presented to date. The bill prohibits the use of any funds for this purpose. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Defense to present Congress with a report that adequately justifies any proposal to build or modify such a facility in the future.

Last fall prominent Iowa Republicans fanned fears about terrorists in the heartland as a political weapon against President Obama and Representative Bruce Braley (D, IA-01), who represents the Iowa counties closest to Thomson, Illinois. At the time, Braley expressed support for the plan to convert the Illinois facility, saying his constituents "have told me with a resounding voice they want these jobs to come to their area." But presumably many Democrats on the Armed Services Committee didn't want to deal with the politics of this issue during an election year.

The federal government still plans to purchase and renovate the Thomson Correctional Center to use for federal prisoners, with or without detainees from Guantanamo.

In December, the Obama administration signaled its intention to move some federal prisoners as well as detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois.

However, on May 19 the House Armed Services Committee "unanimously approved a defense bill for 2011 that bans spending money to build or modify any facility inside the United States to house Guantánamo detainees," the New York Times reported. These are the 61 members of the House Armed Services Committee. I don't know who was absent from Wednesday's meeting, where the defense authorization bill passed by a 59 to 0 vote.

At TalkLeft, Jeralyn posted an excerpt from the bill summary:

The Committee firmly believes that the construction or modification of any facility in the U.S. to detain or imprison individuals currently being held at Guantanamo must be accompanied by a thorough and comprehensive plan that outlines the merits, costs, and risks associated with utilizing such a facility. No such plan has been presented to date. The bill prohibits the use of any funds for this purpose. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Defense to present Congress with a report that adequately justifies any proposal to build or modify such a facility in the future.

Last fall prominent Iowa Republicans fanned fears about terrorists in the heartland as a political weapon against President Obama and Representative Bruce Braley (D, IA-01), who represents the Iowa counties closest to Thomson, Illinois. At the time, Braley expressed support for the plan to convert the Illinois facility, saying his constituents "have told me with a resounding voice they want these jobs to come to their area." But presumably many Democrats on the Armed Services Committee didn't want to deal with the politics of this issue during an election year.

The federal government still plans to purchase and renovate the Thomson Correctional Center to use for federal prisoners, with or without detainees from Guantanamo.

The GOP House leadership has now joined the torture club, according to pieces this morning in the Times (here) and Post (here).

As his part of the charade, HASC Chairman Duncan Hunter had been making noncommital noises yesterday as the results of the WH/Senate palaver were being celebrated with hugs and kisses.

Now, he's positively thesping it up, à la Laurence Olivier:

"The new provisions are excellent," said [Hunter]. "I like them."

Mr. Hunter, whose committee had endorsed a bill looking much like what the White House had initially proposed, said that although he was still reading the compromise, he believed that the House and the Senate could agree on a common bill, eliminating the need for a conference between the two, and making it possible to win final passage in the five days before Congress adjourns for the midterms.

There's more...