Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was picked this week as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, voted against a bill in 2009 that would have banned the federal government from transferring prisoners from Guantanamo Bay prison, arguing that any terrorism suspects who were transferred could be processed in U.S. facilities.
As the Minnesota Post reported at the time, Governor Walz voted against a bill that would have blocked the transfer of detainees from the facility known as Guantanamo Bay near Cuba to the US. The bill was a Republican-led effort to block an amendment that would have authorized transfers to the US as part of then-President Barack Obama's plan to close terrorist detention centres.
Republicans had argued that bringing suspects to the United States to stand trial was a security risk and would give them U.S. legal protection, a measure that was attached to a Department of Homeland Security spending bill, according to The New York Times.
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks during a news conference about gun control legislation at City Hall in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Aug. 1, 2024. Walz is believed to be on the shortlist of potential running mates for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. (Steven Maturen/Getty Images)
The Washington Free Beacon, which broke the vote this week, also reported on comments he made that year in which he dismissed objections about the risks to Guantanamo detainees if they were transferred to the United States, which could include treatment at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester.
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and an Air Force veteran, slammed Walz for his previous push to close Guantanamo Bay, saying his record “endangers the safety of the American people and our national security.”
“Tim Walz, who has been accused of lying repeatedly about averting the Iraq War, voted multiple times to close Guantanamo Bay and transfer the world's most dangerous terrorists to the United States,” said Sam Rogers, an Army veteran and director of government relations at the Government Accountability Foundation.
Waltz wants the facility closed, saying it is a major obstacle to peace in the Middle East, according to MPR News.
“If all the procedures are in place like everyone else, if it's clear what legal recourse these people have, then I think our professionals can handle it,” the Minnesota Democrat said.
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WASHINGTON DC, USA – APRIL 5: A group of human rights organizations held joint protest rallies in several states across the United States on Wednesday, demanding the release of detainees at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who are eligible to be transferred to Washington DC, USA on April 5, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Guantanamo Bay was back in the spotlight this week after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin withdrew plea deals that Pentagon prosecutors had reached with three suspected terrorists behind the Sept. 11 attacks who are awaiting trial at the facility. About 30 detainees currently remain there, according to the Times.
Scrutiny of Walz, a former congressman and former governor of Minnesota, has intensified.
This week, Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate for the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, sparking a flurry of analysis and scrutiny of his past record on everything from immigration to military service.
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“As a governor, coach, teacher and military veteran, he has worked tirelessly to serve working families like his own, and we will have a great partnership,” Harris said in a statement. “We are starting from a weak position, but together I believe we can win this election.”
Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, focusing on immigration and border security.
Contact him at [email protected] or twitter.
