2023: Fitzpatrick Voted To Bar The Use Of VA Funds To Close Or Realign
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. In July 2023, according to Congressional
Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted for the Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, which would
"prohibit the use of funds provided by the bill to close or realign
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and provide $189 million for Arlington
National Cemetery, including funding for its southern expansion." The
vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 219 to 211,
thus the bill was sent to the Senate. [House Vote 380,
7/27/23; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/27/23;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
4366]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted To Continue Prohibitions On The Use Of Defense
Money To Close Or Transfer Detainees From The Guantanamo Bay Naval
Station. In December 2021, Fitzpatrick voted for the National Defense
Authorization Act For FY 2022 which would, according to Congressional
Quarterly, "extend prohibitions on the use of Defense Department funds
to close or transfer detainees from the U.S. naval station in Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote
of 363-70. The bill was sent to President Biden and it ultimately became
law. [House Vote 405,
12/7/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 12/7/21;
Congressional Actions, S.
1605]
2017: Fitzpatrick Voted To Ban The Use Of Funds To Transfer Detainees
From Guantanamo Bay. In July 2017, Fitzpatrick voted against an
amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly,
"remove[d] the bill's prohibition on the use of funds for the transfer
or release of individuals detained at Guantanamo Bay to the United
States." The underlying legislation was an FY 2018 defense
authorization. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 167 to 257.
[House Vote 359,
7/13/17; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/13/17; Congressional
Actions, H. Amdt.
164;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
2810]
2019: Fitzpatrick Effectively Voted For The FY 2020 National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA), Which Continued To Limit The Transfer Of
Prisoners From Guantanamo Bay To The U.S. In December 2019,
Fitzpatrick effectively voted for the FY 2020 NDAA. According to
Congressional Quarterly, "The agreement continues to limit the transfer
of prisoners from the detention facility at the U.S. Naval Station,
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and continues to prohibit the use of funds to
modify facilities in the United States to house such prisoners." The
vote was on adoption of the conference report to accompany the bill. The
House adopted the conference report by a vote of 377-48. The bill was
later passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President. [House
Vote 672, 12/11/19;
Congressional Quarterly,
12/17/19;
Congressional Actions,
S.1790]
2017: Fitzpatrick Effectively Voted Against Allowing The Transfer Of
Guantanamo Bay Detainees. In July 2017, Fitzpatrick voted against an
amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly,
"eliminate[d] the bill's provision that would prohibit the use of
funding made available by the bill to transfer or release, or assist in
the transfer or release, to or within the U.S. of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
or any other detainee who is not a U.S. citizen and is held at
Guantanamo Bay. The amendment would [have] eliminate[d] a provision
that would prohibit funds from being used to construct, acquire or
modify any facility in the U.S. to house a prisoner transferred from
Guantanamo Bay." The underlying legislation was an FY 2018 'minibus'
appropriations bill. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 172
to 252 [House Vote 432,
7/27/17; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/27/17; Congressional
Actions, H. Amdt.
256;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
3219]
2017: Fitzpatrick Voted For An FY 2017 Defense Appropriations Bill
That Prevented Funding For Constructing A Domestic Facility To House
Guantanamo Bay Detainees. In March 2017, Fitzpatrick voted for
legislation that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly
"provide[d] $577.9 billion in discretionary funding for the Defense
Department in fiscal 2017. The total would [have] include[d] $516.1
billion in base Defense Department funding subject to spending caps. It
also would [have] include[d] $61.8 billion in overseas contingency
operations funding. The bill would [have] provide[d] approximately
$210.1 billion for operations and maintenance, approximately $117.8
billion for procurement, approximately $72.7 billion for research and
development and $132.2 billion for military personnel, including a 2.1
percent pay raise. It also would [have] provide[d] roughly $34.1
billion for defense health programs. The measure would [have]
prohibit[ed] use of funds to construct or modify potential facilities
in the United States to house Guantanamo Bay detainees." The House
passed the bill by a vote of 371 to 48. The bill was later turned into a
continuing resolution. [House Vote 136,
3/8/17; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/8/17; Congressional
Actions, H.R.
1301]