Senators stand pat on McHugh
WASHINGTON — Two Kansas senators are sticking by their decision to hold up Rep. John M. McHugh's confirmation as secretary of the Army, pending answers from the Obama administration about the fate of terrorism suspects being detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
A spokeswoman for Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said he still is seeking answers to more than a dozen questions about the administration's plans to move the detainees, possibly to a high-security facility near Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Mr. Roberts and Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., are objecting to Mr. McHugh's confirmation despite pleas from Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to drop their complaint.
The senators have not objected to the selection of Mr. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, but to the Senate's attempt to confirm him and several other defense-related nominees by unanimous consent, without voting.
The senators detailed their questions in an Aug. 6 press release, focusing on several issues related specifically to the Fort Leavenworth site. They also asked for a list of all sites under consideration by an administration task force working on alternatives for the prisoners when the prison at Guantanamo Bay is closed, perhaps by January.
On Thursday, the senators received criticism from the Pentagon instead.
"The secretary is very disappointed," said Geoff Morrell, a spokesman for Mr. Gates, in an interview with Politico. "We are fighting two wars at once, and the service that is bearing the biggest burden is the Army. So it needs and deserves this leadership. ... We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Congressman McHugh."
But the administration also sent signals that it is looking harder elsewhere, at a soon-to-be-closed prison in Standish, Mich., which is a major employer. Administration officials toured that facility Thursday.
Unlike the situation in Kansas, the proposal in Michigan has support from some local officials who fear the loss of 350 jobs if the prison is closed. And Michigan's two U.S. senators are Democrats not likely to stand in the way of Mr. Obama's nominations.
Mrs. Gillibrand entered the fray, asking Mr. Brownback and Mr. Roberts in a letter to drop their objections in time for the Senate to vote on the nomination when it returns from recess in early September.
"In this critical time, our men and women in uniform should not be deprived of the critical leadership provided by the Secretary of the Army," Mrs. Gillibrand wrote. "I had the privilege of serving with Congressman McHugh on the House Armed Services Committee and believe that he is uniquely qualified to serve and to lead the Army during this time of challenge and opportunity."
The situation has two other twists as well.
One of the Republicans who expressed interest in running for Mr. McHugh's seat, but was not selected, is Joshua A. Lynch, a legislative aide to Mr. Brownback. And before his nomination, Mr. McHugh was critical of the administration's proposal to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, citing concern about how prisoners there would be handled.
