Obama to veto any attempt to block Gitmo closure, Earnest says White House spokesman says the president is in the final stages of a plan to shut the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

The White House is “in the final stages of drafting a plan to safely and responsibly close the prison at Guantanamo Bay,” spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters during a Wednesday briefing.

The closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay has been a goal of President Barack Obama since his first days in office. In January 2009, Obama signed a directive ordering the detention facility closed within a year, but opposition rose over the ensuing months and eventually scuttled his plans. Earlier this year, Obama expressed regret over not simply closing the facility at once.


“The fact is that when it comes to closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, there is bipartisan agreement that continuing to operate that prison is not in the best interest of the United States and our national security,” Earnest said. The fact that former President George W. Bush has expressed a similar opinion “should be an indication” of that, but, he added, “Congress’ dysfunction has prevented that from occurring.”

Asked whether Obama would veto the National Defense Authorization Act or any bill including a provision that would keep Guantanamo open, Earnest said Obama “has made it crystal clear” he would veto such legislation.

“And because we’ve made that a priority, that’s why the president and his advisers have concluded that if it’s included in the NDAA, the president will veto it,” Earnest told reporters.