Posted on 05/24/2016 2:54:22 PM PDT by Rennes Templar
(Freedom.news) Despite the fact that presidents generally have the authority to ban anyone from entering the U.S., for a host of reasons, a group of Democratic lawmakers wants to change that authority in a bid to preempt a President Donald Trump from doing what he thinks is best for U.S. national security.
On the campaign trail Trump has called for a temporary ban on admitting anyone from Muslim-dominated countries with known terrorist entities at least until U.S. intelligence and Homeland Security officials find a way to properly vet these individuals. In the case of Syria, for example, the government is nearly non-functional, so there are no official sources for U.S. investigators to utilize when trying to vet Syrian refugees and migrants. The same is true of Libya, which is practically a failed state.
Nevertheless, as reported by AMI Newire, a band of Democratic congressmen on Wednesday fired back at anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States by announcing new legislation to protect Muslim immigrants.
The Freedom of Religion Act would ban religious litmus tests that could prevent immigrants and refugees from entering the U.S.
Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), Mike Honda (D-Calif.), André Carson (D-Ind.) and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced the legislation on Wednesday, with a powerful cosponsor – House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. The four primary sponsors last banded together in December on legislation condemning anti-Muslim bigotry.
“For over 400 years, people have flocked to our shores in search of religious freedom,” Beyer said. “America has always been a country that welcomes people from all faiths.”
Carson said the idea of a religious litmus test would “betray our nation’s core values.”
“Blocking immigrants because of their religion would send a demoralizing and dangerous message to the world that the United States is no longer a beacon of freedom,” he said. “This critical legislation signals that the United States has always been, and will continue to be, a country that welcomes people of all races, ethnicities, and religions.”
Wednesday’s announcement was a not-so-thinly-veiled reaction to presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who sparked a firestorm in December by suggesting banning Muslims from entering the United States. Trump made the remark after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, that were either inspired or carried out by Islamic State militants.
“Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life,” Trump said in a statement at the time.
Far from apologizing or dialing down his rhetoric, Trump has doubled down in recent speeches and interviews. He has renewed his call for the Muslim ban, and only stepped back slightly this week by suggesting that he may appoint former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to head a commission to study the idea.
At almost the same time as Wednesday’s press conference, Trump got some high-profile help from billionaire energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens at the SkyBridge Alternatives global-investment conference in Las Vegas.
Pickens said he not only supported Trump for president, but his call for a Muslim immigrant ban as well. “I like his immigration policy. I didn’t say it’s permanent. But I’d cut off the Muslims coming into the United States until we can vet these people … We’ve got to know.”
About 30 organizations have announced support for the bill announced Wednesday, including a number of Jewish organizations as well as the Anti-Defamation League. But opposition is likely from conservative groups allied with Trump. Indeed, an audience at a South Carolina rally loudly cheered the idea when Trump appeared a day after proposing his Muslim ban; a Christian Broadcasting Network correspondent lauded him for “bravery.”
Beyer is leading the charge for the measure. In a “Dear Colleague” letter to House members on Tuesday, he referred to “the current political discourse surrounding the issue of religious-based acceptance into the U.S.,” and noted that the idea behind the bill is enshrined in Article 6, Clause 3 of the Constitution.
“(The Constitution) bans religious litmus tests for Americans who seek or hold higher office, and the opening phrase of the Bill of Rights bans both the establishment of a national religion and limitations on the free exercise of religion,” Beyer wrote. “The Founding Fathers could hardly have been more clear in expressing their desire to make America a tolerant nation, and yet we are faced with a political atmosphere in which political candidates, pandering to fear and prejudice, have proposed introducing religious litmus tests to our immigration system.”
Beyer also observed that Trump’s proposal could even potentially ban world leaders from entering the U.S., as well as scientific or business leaders who may be visiting U.S. shores for business or political purposes – but any reasonable person knows that a President Trump would never do that. His proposal is specific to the national security needs of the country. That he identified radical Islam as problematic may have bruised some feelings, but as president his first obligation is to protect the country. That hardly seems debatable.
This effort also smacks of hypocrisy. Democrats who are working in Congress and around the country to deny Christians religious freedom rights now want us to believe they are protectors of religious rights?
Excellent! Don’t forget the Hospitallers..
our core values are to keep our system of liberty and freedom. The Muslim faith (Koran) tells them to kill all infidels and Jews. How is wanting to remain alive betraying our values? Democrats and the DC RINOs are traitors and want us and this country to die. I for one, will do all I can to not allow that to happen. Trump to the WH or bust.
And Trump gains more
Sure does!! He’s not been elected or sworn in and they are already making laws before he is in office. Well, he can burn those laws the day he is sworn in!
Oh, now we’re a nation of laws created by Congress? I thought the President was the Emperor. Not so funny now.
Makes you really want to ban the Muslims when they start in on this type of BS. Put the Muzzie refugees next door to them for a few days and if they live ask them how they feel now.
Dem dhimmis. Hope they’re ready to pay the jizya.
BINGO!
And, he specifically stated “temporarily’ until we can find out what is going on.
We simply are being tragically silly to allow Muslims to migrate until there is a way to sort out potential terrorist. With that said, I cannot currently think of a way to do that given the absence of verifiable records in Arab countries.
The Donald is right
If the democrats are so eager to have Americans assassinated, they should save trouble and import Mexican drug cartels.
...Lack of Spine...Lack of Integrity...Lack of Vision....Lack of Character....it’s almost endless.
When the time is right, those that seek to destroy our country will be hanging from lamp posts or lined up against a wall. Note and keep the names of these TRAITORS on paper.
We will also be dealing with invaders and muslims at the same time. Note where they are as well.
This won’t pass anyway.
Regardless that House RINOs read the Constitution out loud at the beginning of the last legislative session, these corrupt lawmakers are wrongly ignoring that the Founding States prohibited the federal government from establishing protected / privileged classes which is what this legislation effectively does imo.
Article I, Section 9, Clause 8: No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States [emphasis added]: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
This is the same constitutional problem with the lawless Obama Administration’s policy concerning INTRAstate, politically correct transgender restrooms imo.
Also, note that by presumably trying to win votes by being nice to undocumented aliens that the corrupt Washington cartel is unthinkingly helping to spread disease.
Four Refugees With Infectious Tuberculosis Sent to Indiana in 2015
CDC Official Says 'Thousands' May Have Arrived in US With Zika
Remember in November !
When patriots elect Trump they also need to elect a new, state sovereignty-respecting Congress that will work within its Section 8-limited powers to support Trump’s vision for the USA..
Also consider that such a Congress would probably be willing to fire state sovereignty-ignoring activist justices.
Get used to the idea that your continued survival will soon depend upon your willingness in defense of yourself & your loved ones to cut flesh.
Republicans are cowards. Period.
Steny Hoyer supported legislation in the late 80’s that allowed terrorist supporters to enter the US unless it could be proven that they committed a crime or were about to commit it (Moynihan, Franks, etc sponsored this legislation which gutted the old Walter-McCarren Act/Immigration & Naturalization legislation).
Beyer is a used car salesman with a brain to match.
Carson - Isn’t he a black muslim? Very trustworthy, isn’t he?
Holmes Norton - old red from New York City. Now cursing DC as their non-voting Congressthing.
Honda - old red. See his record at www.keywiki.org.
Why not?
Knights of the Holy Sepulchre / Order of the Holy Sepulchre
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07427c.htm
Knights of Malta / Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07477a.htm
Knights Templars
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14493a.htm
Stupid Left! Just determined to force America to become another Europe.
ALL muzzies should be deported, but that will never happen.
Obama keeps importing thousands upon thousands of ‘immigrants’ (colonists, future jihadists) and distributing them across America AGAINST OUR WILL, probably in hopes when enough are colonized here they will overthrow the Constitution and force America to be put under Islam- just as the Koran commands (to conquer the world for Islam)
Donald will put a stop to this insanity.
Pass legislation to declare the muslim Brotherhood a subversive organization, like the Communist Party was in the 1940s and 1950.
Close ALL muslim Brotherhood mosques, and ban all muslim Brotherhood organizations (e.g., CAIR, the muslim Student Organization). Ban fundraising for jihad, and jail all jihad fundraisers and jihad organizers.
Predicted result: the vast majority of muslims will deport themselves from the U.S.
Moreover, we need to have national immigration quotas that will drastically reduce Third-World immigration to the US. That will have the positive “side effect” of drastically reducing muslim immigration to the US.
Otherwise, we shall have to wangle over the definition of a “religion” in the Constitution. A “religion” that includes the goal of world conquest and imposing repressive laws on conquered peoples should not be protected, and its adherents should be banned from the US.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.