FIRST ON FOX: In a decisive move, top Republicans in Congress are rallying behind a new bill aimed at prohibiting the White House from offering plea deals to individuals suspected of involvement in the September 11 attacks. This legislative effort comes amidst ongoing debates about the appropriateness of such deals, particularly given the severity of the crimes under consideration.

The Justice for 9/11 Act

At the forefront of this initiative are Senators Tom Cotton and Mitch McConnell. Both leaders have expressed their concerns regarding a pretrial agreement that recently waived the death penalty as a possible punishment for the 9/11 defendants. The proposed Justice for 9/11 Act seeks to reverse this arrangement, reinstating the death penalty as an option in sentencing.

This legislation is designed to ensure that the military court can no longer offer plea deals to the terrorists implicated in the 9/11 attacks, thereby mandating a full trial for each defendant. The bill further stipulates that the defendants must remain at Guantanamo Bay in isolation and prevents any potential extradition to another nation.

Support Across Congress

In the House of Representatives, Rep. Mike Lawler from New York is advancing companion legislation. With Republicans now in control of both chambers of Congress and soon to occupy the White House, the bill stands a significant chance of being enacted into law.

Lawler voiced strong opposition to the Biden administration’s previous negotiations: “For the Biden-Harris administration to have offered a plea deal without the death penalty to the very people who planned the attacks that took the lives of almost 3,000 is a betrayal to our cops, firefighters, and 9/11 victims and their families,” he stated. “The Justice for 9/11 Act will nullify this horrendous plea deal and prevent any future ones from being offered to those who perpetrated this heinous attack.”

Challenges in Legal Proceedings

Notably, trials for those accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks have faced significant delays, often stalled by administrative challenges, conversations around the admissibility of evidence obtained through torture, and the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The recently proposed plea deal was intended to expedite judicial procedures for three key cases.

Senator Cotton criticized the administration’s approach, arguing, “Those monsters should have faced justice decades ago; instead Joe Biden set the stage to let them go free. My bill will stop this travesty and prevent the Biden administration from replenishing the ranks of our terrorist enemies any further on his way out the door.”

Senate Minority Leader McConnell resonated with this sentiment, emphasizing the obligation to achieve justice for the victims and their families. “In the wake of terrorist savagery, our obligation is to deliver justice. However long it takes, those responsible for September 11th deserve nothing more,” he remarked.

Recent Developments in Military Courts

In earlier developments this year, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sought to rescind the plea deals previously established for three detainees at Guantanamo Bay, one of whom is the alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. This move faced backlash, and a military appeals court recently ruled that Austin lacked the authority to nullify those agreements. The court affirmed that the plea deals were valid and enforceable, leaving the Pentagon with limited options for appeal.

A hearing is scheduled for later this week at Guantanamo, where Mohammed and two other co-defendants will have the opportunity to plead guilty in separate proceedings, amidst ongoing discussions regarding the removal of the death penalty as an option.

Biden’s Efforts to Reduce Guantanamo Population

As President Biden prepares to conclude his term, he is aiming to reduce the number of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay—a promise he made during his campaign to close the facility, which has been plagued by allegations of torture. Earlier this week, the administration announced the resettlement of 11 Yemeni detainees in Oman, including two alleged bodyguards of terrorist leader Usama bin Laden. This relocation has brought the total number of detainees at Guantanamo to its lowest level since 2002—a mere 15 individuals.