US House passes revised defense bill that bars Obama from closing Guantanamo

The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a $607 billion defense bill that hampers efforts to close the notorious Guantanamo Bay military prison.

The vote was 370-58 for the National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday that was vetoed by President Barack Obama last month.

Obama said on October 22 after vetoing the bill that it resorted to budget "gimmicks," and wastes money on unnecessary programs and prevents the closure of Guantanamo prison.

The revised bill contains stiff restrictions on transfers of prisoners from the Guantanamo prison at the US naval base in Cuba. House Speaker Paul Ryan said inmates held at the military prison should remain at the facility.

The bill also includes $5 billion in spending cuts that were not contained in the previous version.

The Senate is expected to vote on the measure as soon as next week. The White House said Obama remains opposed to provisions that hinder his ability to transfer the remaining 112 detainees out of Guantanamo and move them to other countries.

Obama had promised to close the Guantanamo Bay prison before his election in 2008, citing its damage to the US reputation abroad.  But, later on the president backed away on his campaign promise due to stiff opposition from Congress.

As many as 775 detainees have been brought to the Guantanamo Bay prison, which was set up after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Washington says the prisoners are terror suspects, but has not pressed charges against most of them in any court. Many detainees have been on hunger strike for months to draw attention to their conditions at the US military prison.

Separately, Senate Democrats voted on Thursday to block another defense measure, the fiscal 2016 appropriations bill, for a third time, amid a dispute with Republicans over tax and spending policy.  

Senators voted 51-44 in a procedural vote on taking up the bill, which has been passed by the House. Sixty votes were required under Senate rules to move forward.

Democrats previously blocked the legislation in June and September while demanding an agreement on a two-year budget deal that President Barack Obama signed into law this week.

They have vowed to block all appropriations bills as part of their effort to get Republicans to reach a budget deal, saying they are concerned that Republicans will use appropriations to renege on the budget agreement.

Republicans denied any intention to go back on the budget deal and denounced Democrats as obstructionists.

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