Dear Friends,

Right now you can help President Biden close Guantanamo. In the next few weeks, the Senate is going to decide whether to make or break President Biden's plan to close Guantanamo. Please write to your Members of Congress now and tell them that you want them to fight to close Guantanamo.

Each year, Congress passes a bill called the "National Defense Authorization Act" (NDAA) that authorizes Department of Defense programs. For over a decade, Congress has included language in the NDAA that bars Guantanamo detainees from being transferred to the United States for any purpose, including for necessary medical care.

This year, however, the House passed a "clean" version of the NDAA that does not include these restrictions. If the House version becomes law then President Biden will finally have the authority he needs to transfer detainees to the U.S. for trial and will be able to finally close Guantanamo.

Unfortunately, the Senate version of the NDAA would not allow Guantanamo detainees to be transferred to the U.S. The House and Senate have to agree on one single version though before the NDAA can be sent to President Biden to become law. That means that if you write to your Members of Congress now you can tell them to agree on the "clean" House version of the NDAA that does not include restrictions on Guantanamo transfers.

Please write now. The House and Senate will agree on a final version of the NDAA in the next few weeks - this is your opportunity to help give President Biden the authority he needs to close Guantanamo!

Sincerely,

Matt Hawthorne
Policy Director

P.S. NRCAT's Executive Director, Rev. Ron Stief, recently published a letter to the editor in the NY Times calling for Guantanamo to be closed. The letter was in response to a story about Guantanamo detainee Majid Khan's moving testimony regarding his treatment in CIA black sites. A follow-up story discusses the military jury's response and rebuke of the use of torture. Read Rev. Stief's letter to the editor.