The US senate has denied funding for Barack Obama’s plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention centre by January, voting instead to keep it running indefinitely.
The senate voted on Wednesday to block any transfer of prisoners to facilities on the US mainland, saying they wanted to first see a detailed plan from the president on what would happen to the men.
The crushing 90-6 bipartisan vote comes a day before Obama is scheduled to outline his plan for the 240 detainees still being held at the much-criticised detention centre.
The vote comes on the heels of a similar move last week in the House of Representatives.
The Republicans in recent weeks have also called for keeping the Guantanamo prison open.
Todd Kent, a professor of American politics at Texas A&M University, said that the political wrangling was making it difficult for Obama to fulfil his campaign pledge to close Guantanamo.
The White House said after the vote that Obama would reveal details of his plans for the prisoners in a speech on national security on Thursday.
However Obama has revived the system of Guantanamo military trials for foreign terrorism suspects.
Obama has also ordered changes to the system, banning evidence obtained through cruel, inhuman and degrading interrogations, including waterboarding.
“These reforms will begin to restore the commissions as a legitimate forum for prosecution, while bringing them in line with the rule of law,” said Mr Obama, who had opposed the Military Commissions Act enacted during the Bush administration.
Many are angry at the new announcement and say Obama has broken a promise to end the controversial tribunals set up by the Bush administration.
