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  1. #1
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    Senate Democrats block Syrian refugee bill

    BREAKING NEWS
    Senate Democrats have blocked consideration of a Republican bill to curb the flow of Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the United States, likely killing it.


    Senate Democrats block Syrian refugee bill

    By Ted Barrett, CNN
    Updated 4:02 PM ET, Wed January 20, 2016 | Video Source: CNN

    Washington (CNN)Senate Democrats blocked consideration of a Republican bill to curb the flow of Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the United States in order to prevent terrorists from slipping in.

    In exchange for taking up the bill, Democrats wanted votes on amendments including one that would have forced GOP senators to go on-the-record on Donald Trump's controversial plan to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S.

    The 55 to 43 vote largely split down party lines and fell short of the 60 votes needed for the bill to advance. The result means the refugee bill, which passed the House with broad bipartisan support in November, likely is dead for the year.


    President Barack Obama had warned he would veto the bill if it made it to his desk.


    Wednesday's vote had both national security and 2016 campaign ramifications.


    Concern about the refugees is a dominant political issue in the presidential campaign, with Republican front-runner Trump leading the charge against the Obama administration refugee program to provide a safe haven for thousands of people fleeing those war-ravaged countries.

    Republican presidential candidates, Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, returned to Washington to vote to advance the bill. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate, missed the vote.

    On the Senate floor Tuesday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged his colleagues to advance the measure.

    "It's clear that many Americans are concerned about the administration's ability to properly vet thousands of individuals from Syria and Iraq. Elected officials in both parties have expressed concerns too, as have administration officials," he said. "That's why many Americans are asking us to take a step back and press 'pause' on the program so we can ensure we have the correct policies and security screenings in place."

    The bill would have required the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Director of National Intelligence all to certify that individuals from Syria or Iraq -- or a refugee who has visited one of those countries in the last five years -- is not a security threat and can be admitted to the U.S.

    The Obama administration first threatened to veto the bill when it passed the House in November with the support of 47 Democrats, which meant it could have enough support to override a veto in that chamber. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said at the time he expected his caucus to block the Senate from debating the bill.

    Complicating matters for Democrats -- many of whom defend the refugee program as safe and necessary -- are recent developments that heightened voters' concerns about terrorists crossing the border. For instance, the San Bernardino mass shooting was carried out by ISIS sympathizers and two Iraqi refugees were arrested in recent weeks on terrorism charges in California and Texas.

    "We cannot allow America's welcome mat to be turned into a door mat for radicalized Islamic extremists who are hard-wired to kill innocent people and destroy our way of life," said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who chairs the Judiciary Committee.
    Ryan Crocker, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria, Iraq and other Mideast countries, warned lowering the number of refugees could feed the sense in that region that the U.S. has turned on Arabs, and Sunni Arabs in particular.

    While he was there to express confidence in the vetting process, Olsen acknowledged he couldn't guarantee a bad actor wouldn't slip through.

    "No process is absolutely perfect and there is no way to guarantee that every person who enters the country poses no threat. That's not realistic," he said. "The bottom line, from my understanding of the process now, is that if there is a doubt about the security of a person, then that person is not going to be admitted."

    http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/20/politi...016/index.html

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    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


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    Senior Member Judy's Avatar
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    Yeah, we have 4 US Senators running on the Republican ticket for President who want to "lead" and be "commander-in-chief" yet they can't even convince 5 to 6 Democrats between them to stop Syrian immigration into the US during a war.

    These people are not leaders. They can't convince anyone of anything, because they can't make a deal, because they don't know how to negotiate, because they don't know how important it is to sell an idea no matter how important, vital or crucial it is to the well-being and security of our country and citizens.
    Last edited by Judy; 01-20-2016 at 07:23 PM.
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    Senate Republicans Rip Democrats for Blocking Syrian Refugee Bill

    Wednesday, January 20, 2016 05:11 PM
    By: Todd Beamon

    Republicans lashed out at Senate Democrats Wednesday for blocking legislation that would crack down on Syrian and Iraqi refugees coming to the U.S. and included a Democratic amendment backing Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the country.

    "The facts are clear," said Louisiana Sen. David Vitter. "As of right now, the federal government does not have complete and adequate safeguards in place to protect Americans here at home as additional Syrian refugees are admitted into the U.S.

    "We need to achieve a higher standard of safety, secure our borders, and keep out all terrorists," he said.

    House Speaker Paul Ryan said that the Democratic move made "it much harder for us to keep Americans safe. Their vote is irresponsible in a time of grave threats."

    The bill, called the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act, failed on a 55-43 vote that would have brought it to the floor for debate.

    The House passed the legislation 289-137 in November in the wake of the Paris attacks. Forty-seven Democrats supported the bill. It would have required new FBI background checks and individual sign-offs from three high-ranking federal officials before any refugee from Syria or Iraq could come to the United States.

    Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid Wednesday accused Republicans of refusing to allow Democrats to offer amendments, including the Muslim ban that would have forced GOP members to take sides against Trump in an election year.

    Republicans bashed the effort to link the bill to the Republican front-runner.

    Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas said the move was "ridiculous," The Hill reports.

    He accused Democrats of trivializing the refugee issue "by bringing the circus to town on the floor of the Senate.

    "I hate to see the Democratic leader try to trivialize this very important national security debate and discussion by injecting presidential election politics right in the middle of this," Cornyn said.

    Democrats fired back, suggesting GOP leaders rejected Reid's deal because they were afraid of taking on their party's presidential front-runner.

    Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin was among many party members who charged that Republicans were afraid to square off against Trump.

    "When we offer them a chance to vote on another statement by Republican presidential nominee Mr. Trump ... they run like scalded cats," Durbin said, according to the Hill.

    Sen. Ted Cruz, one of Trump's leading rivals for the presidential nomination, blasted the Democrats on Twitter:

    Senator Ted Cruz ✔ @SenTedCruz
    Democrats are unwilling even to require this admin to certify that it’s safe to admit refugees from Syria & Iraq http://1.usa.gov/1V9fRqy
    12:49 PM - 20 Jan 2016

    Senator Ted Cruz ✔ @SenTedCruz
    The Obama admin continues to allow thousands of insufficiently vetted refugees to flood our borders http://1.usa.gov/1V9fRqy
    12:49 PM - 20 Jan 2016

    http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/sen.../20/id/710216/
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    Democrats filibuster to defend Obama’s Syrian refugees

    Vote comes despite latest terrorism-related arrests

    By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Wednesday, January 20, 2016

    Brushing aside new fears over terrorists exploiting the refugee program, Senate Democrats on Wednesday successfully defended President Obama’s call to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees this year, saying the U.S. has an obligation to help the weak and needy.

    Republicans had hoped to impose new security checks on the program by requiring Mr. Obama’s FBI, Homeland Security and intelligence chiefs to certify every refugee, saying those security officials needed to be on record if the country was going to expand its program.

    But Democrats filibustered the plan, leaving Republicans five votes shy of the 60 needed to move forward, and leaving Mr. Obama a free hand to run the program as he wants.

    “Women, children and families fleeing persecution are not the enemy,” Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said. “We should be focusing all our effort on defeating the real enemy.”

    The Senate defeat was a stunning reversal for the bill, which cleared the House with overwhelming bipartisan support late last year. The House vote was even enough to override an Obama veto.

    Senate Democrats, though, rallied to Mr. Obama, as they have so often during his tenure, saving him from having to confront another bill he didn’t like.

    Mr. Obama has insisted his current program is capable of weeding out potential terrorists from the pool of potential refugees, and pointed to the Iraqi refugee program, which has admitted thousands of Iraqis over the last decade.

    That program suffered a black eye earlier this year, however, after the Justice Department announced terrorism-related charges against two Iraqis, signaling that the program is not as airtight as defenders said.

    Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, 25, a Palestinian born in Iraq, was been charged with attempting to provide support for the Islamic State, and lying to Homeland Security officers when he applied for citizenship in the U.S. Government informants said he trained as a machine gunner with the Islamic State, and was trying to build bombs in his Texas home, with plans to attack two shopping malls.

    In the other case, investigators said Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab, 23, traveled to Syria and fought with Ansar al-Islam against the Syrian regime, according to charges brought in federal court in California. He then lied about the travel to Syria, prosecutors say.

    Mr. Al-Jayab’s case is particularly worrying since he was admitted in October 2012 as a refugee from Syria.

    http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...rian-refugees/
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    Senior Member Judy's Avatar
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    Vote Trump and he'll deport them all. He's already given "notice" that if they bring them in, they're going back as soon as he's in office, and I believe him.
    A Nation Without Borders Is Not A Nation - Ronald Reagan
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    MW
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    Quote Originally Posted by Judy View Post
    Vote Trump and he'll deport them all. He's already given "notice" that if they bring them in, they're going back as soon as he's in office, and I believe him.
    Come on now, time for a reality check. Unfortunately, there is very little chance an accepted refugees will be sent home unless they've broken the law or have committed fraud during the application process. The President, regardless of who it is, doesn't have the authority to take such action on his own. Someone given asylum can be sent home if the conditions in their home country improve to a point where their life is not longer in danger, but it is different for an accepted refugee.

    "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" ** Edmund Burke**

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  8. #8
    Senior Member Judy's Avatar
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    The President has the obligation to uphold the US Constitution which means he can deport aliens any State doesn't want. That along with prohibiting immigration is the only immigration related power the entire federal government has. Presidents are not subject to Congress, Presidents are subject the US Constitution. When Congress violates the Constitution as the Congress is doing with all immigrant admissions, any President has the full power of the US Constitution to eject them all from the country.

    It's time Americans who don't understand this to do a Constitution Check.
    Last edited by Judy; 01-20-2016 at 09:33 PM.
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    Ryan’s Strategy to ‘Keep the American People Safe’ Fails: U.S. to Issue Visas to 300,

    Ryan’s Strategy to ‘Keep the American People Safe’ Fails: U.S. to Issue Visas to 300,000 Muslim Migrants

    by JULIA HAHN
    20 Jan 2016
    Washington D.C.
    224 comments

    On Wednesday, Senate Democrats successfully and predictably blocked what many conservatives described as Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)’s “Show Vote'”on refugee admissions.

    It has been called a show vote because the Ryan plan, even if the President signed it, would still allow the President to bring in an unlimited number of refugees from an unlimited number of countries.

    Democrats’ filibuster on the motion to proceed to Ryan’s show vote comes one month after Speaker Ryan sent President Obama a blank check to fund visa issuances to nearly 300,000 (temporary and permanent) Muslim migrants in the next 12 months alone. Ryan’s decision to fully-fund Obama’s immigration agenda arguably ceded any leverage he may otherwise have had over Democrats and ensured the large-scale migration into America would continue and grow.

    Ryan’s bill, known as the American SAFE Act, was blocked by 55-43.

    Ryan’s inability to develop a winning strategy suggests he failed at what he has called the “first duty of the government.” Ryan declared after the SAFE Act’s initial passage in the House:

    "The first duty of our government is to keep the American people safe. That’s why, today, the House will vote on a plan to pause our Syrian refugee program… If our law enforcement and intelligence community cannot verify that each and every person coming here is not a security threat, then they shouldn’t be allowed in. Right now, the government can’t certify these standards, so this plan pauses the program. It’s a security test—not a religious test. This reflects our values. This reflects our responsibilities. And this is urgent. We cannot and should not wait to act—not when our national security is at stake."

    Ryan informed the press that he had “reached out to our Democratic colleagues” in crafting the plan, and touted his acquisition a “veto-proof majority”—which no longer seems relevant since the Senate blocked further movement on the bill.

    While Ryan and House Republicans celebrated their supposed political victory— preparing to fully fund Obama’s refugee plans while offering up a show vote— Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) never seemed concerned. As The Hill reported at the time: “When asked about the prospect of Obama vetoing the legislation, Reid said, ‘Don’t worry, it won’t get passed. Next question?’”

    Although many House Republicans seemed convinced that putting forth a toothless bill was a brilliant strategy, many conservatives were not. For instance, Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC)’s office denounced Ryan’s bill as a “show vote” that would “do nothing to cut off the funding for President Barack Obama’s plan to import tens of thousands of Middle Eastern refugees into the U.S.” Jones explained that, “defunding President Obama’s refugee program is the only way to ensure there is an actual halt to a refugee influx.”

    Hot Air’s AllahPundit even observed that Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)’s bill was more substantive than Paul Ryan’s: “Another irony: when you compare the House GOP’s bill to what Senate Dems are pushing, it’s the Democratic bill that’s more substantive.”

    Mark Levin slammed Ryan’s entire proposal as a fraud. “You’re not securing the homeland, you’re pretending to secure the homeland,” Levin declared, later tweeting out: “Washington fighting over phony policy and want you to think it is serious.”

    Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) explained that the legislation Ryan pushed through the House “allows the President to continue to bring in as many refugees as he wants from anywhere in the world.”

    In a post entitled, “Uh, the House Bill to Pause the Syrian Refugee Program Doesn’t Really Pause the Syrian Refugee Program,” National Review’s Rich Lowry wrote: “It was nice to see the House get a veto-proof majority for its Syrian refugee bill. The problem is, when you get down to it, it doesn’t do anything.”

    Given these reactions, it is unsurprising that there was no public momentum behind Ryan’s bill.

    But Ryan further ensured there would be no momentum for his strategy— and no pressure on Democrats— by attacking conservatives’ desire to block Muslim immigration. Ryan went to great lengths to ensure America that, as long as he was in charge, no proposals to restrict mass Muslim migration would be tolerated.

    Ryan—who, according to recent reports, is “rapidly emerging as Republicans’ anti-Trump” and as a “counterweight to Trump”—made a concerted effort to frame his refugee plan in this light.

    Indeed, in early December, Ryan held a press conference publicly condemning the GOP frontrunner’s proposal to temporarily pause Muslim migration. Ryan declared that Trump’s plan “is not conservatism”—even though 65% of all conservative voters think America should allow zero refugees from the Middle East into America, according to Rasmussen. Ryan also adopted the left’s talking point—insisting that there is no need to curb Muslim migration into the United States because “the vast, vast, vast majority of Muslims are peaceful and believe in pluralism, freedom, democracy and individual rights.”

    It was never publicly explained by House Republicans how there would be momentum for their strategy if Speaker Ryan was using his pulpit to ensure America that massive Muslim immigration would make America a more free, peaceful, and democratic nation.

    Similarly, in a nationally televised interview with Sean Hannity, Ryan ruled out the possibility of curbing Muslim migration, proclaiming: “That’s not who we are”.

    Perhaps most noticeably, Ryan helped recruit Nikki Haley to deliver the Republican’s State of the Union rebuttal, in which Haley criticized Trump’s proposal to curb Muslim migration and made the case for functionally unlimited immigration.

    By framing Muslim immigration as a huge positive for America, and by putting up a show vote that did not reduce Muslim immigration in any way, the result was that there was no capacity to put any public pressure on Democrats to change their position. One aide Breitbart News spoke with put it this way:

    "If we wanted to beat Democrats, we needed to highlight the attacks on women carried out by Muslims, highlight the sinister spread of Female Genital Mutilation, highlight the welfare costs, and cultural dangers, the spread of radical Islam inside our borders. Then, we need a proposal to actually pause Muslim immigration. Instead, Paul Ryan celebrated the idea of unlimited Muslim immigration— with all its transformative effects— while putting forward a bill that did nothing. Democrats never broke a sweat. Having Ryan in charge of refugee strategy is like putting the world’s fattest man in charge of your diet plan."

    Indeed, Ryan seemed much more eager to collaborate with Democrats. When pressed about his refugee bill, Ryan expressed his desire to cooperate with Democrats— not dissimilar from his $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill, which was praised by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Reid, and the White House. Ryan said:

    "This should not be a partisan issue… This should not be about Republicans and Democrats. This should be about keeping America safe… We’re trying to make this bipartisan because we don’t think this should be a Republican or Democrat issue, it should be an American security issue."

    Conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly warned fifty years ago that the donor-class—or Kingmakers, as she calls them—who control the Republican Party prefer lawmakers and candidates “who would sidestep or suppress the key issues” by compromising with Democrats on the issues that matter to Republican voters.

    Schlafly explained that in doing so, the Kingmakers are able to create an ostensible consensus between both Party leaders—and, as a result, voters are denied their ability to choose a party that represents their interests, since both parties represent merely an echo of the other side. Thus, Ryan’s declarations that, “We don’t think this should be a Republican or Democrat issue,” and “We’re trying to make this bipartisan,” and “This should be about keeping America safe” bears striking resemblance to what Schlafly warned about in 1964:

    The kingmakers and their propaganda apparatus have launched a series of false slogans designed to mask the failure of their candidates to debate the major issues. Some of these are the following: ‘Politics should stop at the water’s edge.’ ‘We must unite behind our President who has sole power in the field of foreign affairs.’ ‘Foreign policy should be bipartisan.’

    In response to today’s failure, Ryan issued a tepid five-sentence response reproaching Senate Democrats’ maneuver as “irresponsible.” While Ryan’s strategy turned out to be unsuccessful, the outcome was not perhaps entirely surprising. In his “bold” Republican agenda released last week, Ryan— who has a two-decade long history of pushing mass immigration — did not include a word about an immigration crackdown. But, considering Ryan’s previous claim that migrants from the third world make the “best Americans,” Ryan himself may regard his own strategy as highly successful.

    http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...slim-migrants/
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    Senior Member Judy's Avatar
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    In response to today’s failure, Ryan issued a tepid five-sentence response reproaching Senate Democrats’ maneuver as “irresponsible.” While Ryan’s strategy turned out to be unsuccessful, the outcome was not perhaps entirely surprising. In his “bold” Republican agenda released last week, Ryan— who has a two-decade long history of pushing mass immigration — did not include a word about an immigration crackdown. But, considering Ryan’s previous claim that migrants from the third world make the “best Americans,” Ryan himself may regard his own strategy as highly successful.
    Exactly. "All talk, no action." -- Donald J. Trump
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