Thread: Lieberman: Give Visa Control to Homeland Security

Lieberman: Give Visa Control to Homeland Security

Sunday, 03 Jan 2010 11:39 PM

WASHINGTON – The Homeland Security Department rather than the State Department should handle U.S. visas overseas to meet security threats, the chairman of the Senate homeland security committee said on Sunday.

Connecticut independent Joe Lieberman raised the idea during a discussion on ABCs "This Week" of the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound plane on Dec 25.

"I believe, incidentally, that we ought to take a look at taking the visa application and admission responsibility from the State Department. It doesn't really fit with foreign policy anymore," he said.

"And in an age of terrorism, I think the Department of Homeland Security ought to be handling visas abroad."

The 23-year-old Nigerian accused of the attempted bombing, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, held a multiple-entry U.S. visa issued in London, according to a statement by his family.

Leaders of the Senate committee say they will convene a hearing this month to examine airline security.

The committee's top Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, said on "This Week" the State Department should have revoked Abdulmutallab's visa after his family told U.S. officials they were worried about his activities.

The Homeland Security Department was to take control this month of a visa program for flight school students.

Foreign citizens from all but 35 countries, mostly in Europe but also including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, must obtain a U.S. visa to visit the United States but a visa does not guarantee entry. Some 5.8 million non-immigrant visas were issued in 2006, the most recent year listed on a State Department site on the Internet.

http://newsmax.com/InsideCover/lieberma ... /id/345222

Source: Reuters

What difference would it make? Is Janet Napolitano that much better at organizing her department than Hillary Clinton is at hers?

What's the difference? Both agencies are woefully incompetent, led by hardcore leftist, who care more about promoting their PC agenda than keeping Americans safe!

Originally Posted by Texas2step

Lieberman: Give Visa Control to Homeland Security

Sunday, 03 Jan 2010 11:39 PM

WASHINGTON – The Homeland Security Department rather than the State Department should handle U.S. visas overseas to meet security threats, the chairman of the Senate homeland security committee said on Sunday.

I guess being an Independent Democrat means you have less brains that a Democrat? DHS has never been able to do their job, now you want to give them more responsibilities? Is this guy completely crazy? What we really need to do is close DHS and quit giving out visas until the State Department can figure out how to be more responsible about who gets one.

Yeah, right! Let's just let the fox watch the hen house.