Cotton, McConnell, Lawler Reintroduce Bill to Stop Joe Biden from Releasing 9/11 Terrorists

Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), and Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) today reintroduced legislation, the Justice for 9/11 Act, to nullify any plea deals made between the U.S. government and the Guantanamo Bay inmates who planned the 9/11 attacks on September 11, 2001. This legislation is being reintroduced after a military judge ruled the plea agreements could move forward. The Biden administration also recently released 11 Guantanamo Bay detainees to Oman. Senators Cotton and McConnell first introduced this bill in August of 2024. Companion legislation will be introduced in the House by Congressman Mike Lawler (R-New York).

"Giving a plea deal to the terrorist masterminds behind 9/11 is disgraceful and an insult to the victims of the attacks, as well at those who served to avenge them. These monsters should have faced justice decades ago; instead, Joe Biden has 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," said Senator Cotton.

"In the wake of terrorist savagery, our obligation is to deliver justice. However long it takes, those responsible for September 11th deserve nothing more, and the families of their victims deserve nothing less," said Senator McConnell.

"The court's decision to uphold the plea deal for three 9/11 conspirators is alarming. In addition to the plea deal, the Biden administration continues to use its final days in power to release some of the world's most violent terrorists from Guantanamo Bay. These men should face trial for their crimes, and Congress must act quickly to pass this important legislation," said Senator Moran.

"September 11th is a date that will forever be seared in our national memory, especially for New Yorkers. 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 of our cops, firefighters, and 9/11 victims and their families. 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," said Congressman Lawler.

Text of the bill may be found here.

Background:

• The pretrial agreement between the 9/11 planners and the government removes the possibility of the death penalty as punishment.
• In 2008, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad was charged with multiple crimes for his role, including conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, and terrorism and material support of terrorism.
• The Justice for 9/11 Act would prevent the Biden administration from offering plea deals to the 9/11 terrorists by requiring a trial and ensuring death penalty remains an option in sentencing.
• The bill would also require the terrorist be kept at Guantanamo Bay in solitary confinement and prohibit them from being extradited to another country.

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