Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ two Democratic U.S. senators joined 40 Republicans and independent Joe Lieberman today in voting for a failed amendment that could have forestalled closing the terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

By a 57-43 vote, the Senate defeated an amendment by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., that would have barred federal spending for upgrading facilities in the United States to house prisoners transferred from Guantanamo Bay for trial in the U.S.

The amendment was proposed for a spending bill for military construction and veterans programs.

“I have not seen any evidence or plans that convince me that bringing terrorists into the United States is wise,” Sen. Mark Pryor said after the vote. “In addition, funds slated for veterans care or military facilities should not be used to build special facilities that hold detainees transferred from Guantanamo Bay.”

Sen. Blanche Lincoln said she does not support relocating detainees to U.S. soil from the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility for security reasons.

“The safety and security of our nation should be our first priority,” Lincoln said. “At this time I’m confident in the security of the facility at Guantanamo Bay. I will review any proposal by the administration regarding future plans for detainees at Guantanamo Bay with the safety and security of Arkansans as my first priority.”

Critics of the amendment decried it as an attempt to block closing the prison, one of President Obama’s priorities, and said it actually would have blocked federal spending to beef up security in New York City, where terrorist suspects including the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks are to be tried.