Washington, January 11 (RHC)-- U.S. President Barack Obama will reportedly keep his promise to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay before his presidency ends in 11 months, according to the White House.

Obama will first provide Congress with a long-awaited plan about how to close the detention facility, and seek its approval, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday. He said that if Congress fails to act, the Obama administration will determine the next step.

"He feels an obligation to the next president. He will fix this so that they don't have to be confronted with the same set of challenges," McDonough said.

Obama had promised to close the Guantanamo Bay prison -– located on illegally-occupied territory in eastern Cuba -- during the 2008 presidential election campaign, citing its damage to the U.S. reputation abroad. However, later on the president backed away on his campaign promise due to stiff opposition from Congress.

McDonough declined to say whether Obama would close the prison using his own executive powers if Congress rejects his plan.