Below, release from six Illinois GOP House members…..
All: Today, members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation joined Congressman Peter Roskam in sending a letter to
President Barack Obama requesting a National Security Council (NSC) briefing, after one of the five Democrat Senate candidates, Alexi Giannoulias, disclosed that he received a NSC briefing in an interview this morning.
Pertinent background information is at the bottom and a PDF of the letter is attached as well.
November 20, 2009
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
In the week since your Administration announced its plans to move terrorists to Thomson, Illinois, Members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation requested a briefing from the Department of Defense, called for security impact studies and sent two letters calling for additional information.
In light of today’s disclosure from Illinois State Treasurer and Democratic Senate Candidate Alexi Giannoulias that he has been briefed by National Security Council (NSC) officials on the plans to move al-Qaeda terrorists to Illinois, we are formally requesting a briefing from NSC officials in the interest of ensuring that the elected officials of the State of Illinois are provided the information needed to carry out their sworn duties for the people they represent.
Moving terrorists from Guantanamo to northern Illinois will have implications for the people of northern Illinois with respect to homeland security and lost economic opportunity. To ensure the people of Illinois are afforded the utmost consideration for their safety, it is important to have their federal elected representatives apprised of the details of this evolving situation.
Additionally, we urge you to eschew the increasingly political nature of this situation. Unfortunately, this deliberation has been tainted by the appearance of political favoritism given that one of the five prospective Democratic U.S. Senate candidates received a NSC briefing while elected Members of Congress have not. The people of Illinois will be best served by a process that forgoes the behind-closed-doors political approach and instead provides for open and transparent consideration.
Sincerely,
Peter Roskam
John Shimkus
Aaron Schock
Tim Johnson
Mark Kirk
Judy Biggert
Background:
“Most importantly I had a chance to talk to the National Security Council folks.” – Senate Candidate Alexi Giannoulias (WLS 890 AM’s “Don Wade and Roma Show”, 11/20/2009)
Listen to the full audio of the interview here.
(6:30 mark)
Roma: “Have you been briefed on this by the White House or since you are a state constitutional officer has Governor Quinn briefed you?
Giannoulias: “We’ve spoken to their offices, I’ve gotten some packets of paper, and I’ve read them. Most importantly I had a chance to talk to the National Security Council folks.”
(3:50 mark)
Giannoulias: “I’ve had a chance to talk to some folks on the National Security Council and they’ve told me that today, in this country federal prisons securely house approximately 350 inmates already including 35 already in Illinois and the U.S. military has demonstrated the ability to house those inmates, so I’ve heard some facts from them.”
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