S. Amdt. 2774 Tabled

Passing S. Amdt. 2774 would have eliminated the possibility that funds made available through H.R. 3082 (Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2010) could be used to build or modify a facility within the United States or its territories to temporarily or permanently hold those individuals held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as of October 1, 2009. $14.2 billion has been allocated for future military construction within H.R. 3082; and while there is no money currently assigned for the purposes described in S. Amdt. 2774, having that amendment in place would have added the prohibitory language necessary to ensure that future diversion of funds for such use could not occur.

Following the failed amendment vote, Sen. Inhofe commented, "Despite the fact that similar legislation had overwhelmingly passed the Senate three times in the past, 47 Democrat Senators changed their position on this issue, bending to pressure from the Obama Administration, setting the stage for military facilities around the United States to temporarily or permanently hold Gitmo detainees. Given the Defense Department’s urgent need for military construction funds, I see no reason to expend these limited funds to construct one or more 'Gitmo Norths'. I am very disheartened and believe this is a cost the American people should not have to bear and a risk this nation cannot accept."

The vote to table Sen. Inhofe's amendment was a partisan vote. Only two Democratic Senators and one Independent voted with Republicans against tabling S. Amdt. 2774. In the future, should any of the funds allocated in H.R. 3082 ever be used to build or modify a facility within the U.S. or its territories for the temporarily or permanently holding of Guantanamo detainees, remember:

Who Voted How on S. Amdt. 2774 -

YEAs —57
Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Begich (D-AK) Bennet (D-CO) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Burris (D-IL) Byrd (D-WV) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Conrad (D-ND) Dodd (D-CT) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI)	Feinstein (D-CA) Franken (D-MN) Gillibrand (D-NY) Hagan (D-NC) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Johnson (D-SD) Kaufman (D-DE) Kerry (D-MA) Kirk (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ) Merkley (D-OR)	Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Shaheen (D-NH) Specter (D-PA) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-CO) Udall (D-NM) Warner (D-VA) Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs —43
Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC)	Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Kyl (R-AZ) LeMieux (R-FL) Lieberman (ID-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Lugar (R-IN)	McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Pryor (D-AR) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Snowe (R-ME) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Wicker (R-MS)