Mike Rounds on Homeland Security

Republican SD Governor

Primary federal responsibility is funding armed forces

National Defense: Mike believes the primary responsibility of the federal government is
funding and training armed forces adequately to protect our citizens and to secure our borders.

Source:
, Oct 9, 2014

Saved Ellsworth Air Force Base from closure in 2005

He never forgot about the importance of our servicemen and women fighting to defend our freedoms.
The United States was fighting a war on terror during all of his years in office and Mike frequently paid tribute to members of the military. He also organized the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials.
[Some accomplishments include]:

Saving Ellsworth Air Force Base from closure in 2005 by a federal commission

Beginning construction of the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Homestake and initialization of the first experiments at that 4,850-foot level of the mine.

No transfers of Gitmo prisoners to US or abroad.

Rounds co-sponsored H.R.401 & S.165

Congressional Summary: To extend and enhance limitations on the transfer or release of individuals detained at Guantanamo Bay. No amounts appropriated for any agency of the US Government may be used, for two years, to construct or modify any facility in the US, to house an individual detained at Guantanamo.

Proponents reasons for voting YEA: Rep. WALORSKI: 21 terrorists have been released just in November alone to foreign countries. This measure would repeal current law that has allowed the administration to transfer prisoners to foreign countries and reduce the population at GTMO down to 127. Detainees at GTMO pose a real threat to our national security. HR 401 would prohibit any detainee transfers to Yemen. Yemen's branch of al Qaeda was founded by former GTMO detainees. We cannot risk trusting the world's most dangerous terrorists to its most dangerous places, nor should we simply cut them loose in rich, stable countries with no security
safeguards in place.

Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (CloseGuantanamo.org article, Jan. 2015): The prison at Guantanamo Bay has been open for 13 years. In 2009, President Obama pledged to close Guantanamo within a year. Yet it remains open, undermining America's values and national security. Almost half of the remaining 122 prisoners--55 men in total--were cleared for release in 2010 through 2013. Some of these men were previously cleared by the Bush Administration--some as long ago as 2004. It is unacceptable that the U.S. government continues to hold men that its own national security experts have recommended for release or transfer, and that Congress has intervened to maintain this deplorable state of affairs. We call for the immediate closure of Guantanamo. Guantanamo harms our nation every day it stays open, and it continues to serve as a potent symbol for terrorist recruitment.