U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, released the following statement after the House of Representatives advanced H.R. 5351, To prohibit the transfer of any individual detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by a bipartisan vote of 244 to 174.

“Those held at Guantanamo are not ordinary criminals – they are hardened extremists in the midst of an endless war against our country, our citizens, and our values. President Obama should instead try working with us to bolster our national security and combat terrorism. Freeing any of these additional detainees would put American lives at risk. I’m proud to support these efforts to block to the Obama administration from prematurely freeing any more detainees from Guantanamo.”

H.R. 5351 would block all transfers of Guantanamo Bay detainees through the end of the president’s term in office, or until the FY17 National Defense Authorization Act is signed into law, whichever happens first.

In June, the Washington Post reported that at least 12 detainees released have been implicated in attacks against the United States or allied forces, killing about a half-dozen Americans.