National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012

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Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman McKeon for his leadership on the National Defense Authorization Act, and also recognize Ranking Member Smith for his efforts on what I believe is an extraordinarily good bill.

I am pleased today to support H.R. 1540. It recognizes the need for fiscal constraint while at the same time ensuring our Nation's security and fulfills our sacred obligations to our brave men and women in uniform. The bill also strengthens protections against ill-considered efforts to release detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.

In December, the Director of National Intelligence reported that 25 percent of those formerly held at Gitmo were confirmed or suspected of returning to the fight against us and our allies. This rate is alarming and unacceptable. I am concerned that the government did not conduct significant due diligence when identifying detainees for release and that this failure has potentially grave ramifications for our troops serving on the battlefield.

H.R. 1540 strengthens our protections in several important ways. First, it prohibits transfers to foreign countries where there are known cases of re-engagement; it requires careful consideration of established criteria before other transfers are accomplished; and it mandates that government agencies provide Congress the information we need to properly assess the threats our Nation and our troops face from detainees who have rejoined the fight and continue to commit terrorist acts.

H.R. 1540 also ensures continued oversight of Arlington National Cemetery. It directs the timely establishment of the Oversight Council and creates a date certain for record digitization.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1540. I would like to end with thanking the staff, including Michelle Pearce, for their great work on the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

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