Tester demands ‘justification’ for new Guantanamo athletic facility

Navy reportedly spent nearly $750,000 to build athletic field, walking path

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester is demanding that the U.S. Navy justify its decision to spend nearly $750,000 in taxpayer money to build a new athletic facility for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

The facility, which consists of an athletic field, walking trail, and exercise equipment, will open in April. 

The Navy says the project was a part of Guantanamo’s recent reorganization, but Tester says the Navy should not be spending taxpayer money on new prisoner accommodations when American service members and military retirees face potential cuts to their benefits.

“It is troubling that the Navy would spend a significant amount of taxpayer dollars on upgrading athletic facilities for military detainees in a time when the Defense Department and Navy continue to identify significant savings,” Tester wrote Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.  “We ask that you provide our offices with proper justification for why the Navy felt funding this project was absolutely essential.”

Tester also requested that the Navy examine other projects for waste and stop any spending not directly focused on national security.

“While the cost of this particular project may pale in comparison to others within the Navy, we must remain extremely vigilant in this fiscal environment when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars,” Tester added.  “It is long past time that we bring more accountability and real change to the way our government does business.”

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base began holding detainees shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks.  There are fewer than 200 prisoners there now.

Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) also signed Tester’s letter to Secretary Mabus.  It is available below and HERE.

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March 15, 2012

The Honorable Ray Mabus
Secretary
Department of the Navy
2000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, DC 20350-2000

Dear Secretary Mabus:

We write today with serious concerns about recent news reports that the Department of the Navy has spent nearly $750,000 to upgrade athletic facilities for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.  In a time when the Defense Department and Navy continue efforts to identify significant savings, it is troubling that the Navy would spend a significant amount of taxpayer dollars on upgrading athletic facilities for military detainees.

In a fiscal environment that has forced the federal government to look at all options to cut federal spending and has led the Administration to propose increases in out of pocket health care costs for service members, military retirees and their families, as well as potential reductions in military retirement benefits, it is completely unacceptable that the Navy would make such an ill-advised investment.   Balancing the budget on the backs of our troops and veterans is a non-starter for us, particularly when we continue to see potentially misguided spending priorities such as this.

We ask that you provide our offices with proper justification for why the Navy felt funding this project was absolutely essential.  We also request that you examine current projects for risk of waste and take more aggressive action to curb investments in projects that serve no meaningful benefit to our security or to our men and women in uniform. 

As our nation and Congress consider different cost-cutting measures, I hope you agree this is certainly a matter worthy of close scrutiny.  We have a lot of work to do.  While the cost of this particular project may pale in comparison to others within the Navy, we must remain extremely vigilant in this fiscal environment when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars.  It is long past time that we bring more accountability and real change to the way our government does business.  We hope you will agree.

We appreciate you taking this request under serious consideration and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
(s)
Jon Tester et al.