Senate approves transfer of Gitmo prisoners

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has given President Barack Obama a modest victory in his effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba.
 
The Senate gave final approval Tuesday for a plan to permit terrorist suspects held at the controversial facility to be shipped to U.S. soil to face trial, largely mirroring what’s permitted under current law.
 
The plan was buried in a budget bill for the Homeland Security Department that won easy Senate approval. The measure now goes to Obama for his signature.
 
Obama in January ordered the facility closed within a year, but the administration has yet to deliver a plan and the effort has hit several roadblocks. Among the problems is unease among Obama’s Democratic allies on Capitol Hill, who have refused to fund the effort.