Posted on 11/19/2015 5:19:19 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Senate Democrats are pushing a legislative alternative to a House Republican bill that would halt the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the United States, giving themselves political cover to oppose it.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Thursday will introduce legislation broadening the debate to visa waivers granted to European citizens traveling to the United States.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), would block waivers for European citizens who spent time in Syria or Iraq in the past five years.
"Let's say France has had 2000 people leave to go and fight [in Syria.] They're a visa waiver country so the people come back to France and then they come into the United States. The bill we would propose would strictly limit that," she said after attending a classified briefing with senior administration officials Wednesday evening.
She added the legislation would tighten the fingerprinting requirements for visitors who qualify for visa waivers.
"Currently, in most cases, the fingerprints are checked after they arrive in the United States. They should be done before," said Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.).
While Republicans have focused on the 10,000 refugees from Syria whom President Obama wants to resettle domestically, Democrats argue they are already subject to rigorous vetting.
They say visa waivers pose a greater security threat, noting several of the Paris attackers were French or Belgian citizens who were believed to have visited Syria.
The visa waiver program allows citizens of many European countries, including Belgium, France, Germany and Greece, to travel in the United States for up to 90 days without a visa.
House Republicans plan to vote Thursday on legislation narrowly focused on Syrian refugees. It would require the Homeland Security secretary to certify to Congress that refugees admitted to the country do not pose a security threat.
Senate Republicans on Thursday acknowledged the scope of that bill may have to be enlarged.
"The visa waiver program potentially is the place where there's greater gaps possibly than the refugee program itself," said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is running for president, said, "I have serious concerns about visa waivers and making sure we are protecting the safety and security of American citizens."
Flake, speaking to reporters after Wednesday's briefing, said that while administration officials didn't specify what changes lawmakers could make to the program, "a few of us have some ideas."
"Obviously visa waivers been brought up - regular asylees, student visas, tourist visas, other things - that's of much more concern.... than refugees," he said.
If Democrats can broaden the House legislation, they can work on amending language related to refugees that many find troublesome.
They do not want the administration to have to certify that each and every refugee is not a security threat, something that could dramatically slow the vetting program and open senior officials to future blame in case of an incident.
"As soon as you put it on somebody's back, you reach the level of responsibility," said a Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Feinstein is also pushing legislation to block people on the terrorist watch list from buying firearms.
"Our present situation allows a known terrorist on a watch list to be able to buy a gun and in fact thousands have," she said. "We have a bill that will stop that."
Feinstein's second bill does not have a Republican cosponsor.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday he was unfamiliar with Feinstein's gun bill.
Feinstein's second bill does not have a Republican cosponsor.
Never let a crisis go to waste.
Refugee alternative? How about GITMO? I hear it’s like a country club there. And hell, it’s about empty.
FEMA has lots of tents and there is lots of federal land in northern Alaska :)
THIS SHOULD ALREADY BE ENFORCED!
“.......Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Thursday will introduce legislation broadening the debate to visa waivers granted to European citizens traveling to the United States.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), would block waivers for European citizens who spent time in Syria or Iraq in the past five years.
“Let’s say France has had 2000 people leave to go and fight [in Syria.] They’re a visa waiver country so the people come back to France and then they come into the United States. The bill we would propose would strictly limit that,” she said after attending a classified briefing with senior administration officials Wednesday evening.
She added the legislation would tighten the fingerprinting requirements for visitors who qualify for visa waivers.
“Currently, in most cases, the fingerprints are checked after they arrive in the United States. They should be done before,” said Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.).”
Why bother with a visa? They could simply walk across the Mexican border and take up refuse in San Francisco.
No kidding.
Can’t use the Alaskan land. That’s for the IRS after Trump wins.
There are plenty of other countries much closer that share common language and cultural mores with them, where they could assimilate much easier.
Expect a contentious hearing today on Syrian refugees at the House Judiciary Committee, Assistant Secretary of State Anne Richard, who is in charge of the refugee program, has been summoned to explain the process for vetting refugees being considered for admission.
Members of Congress are concerned that because the United States doesn’t have significant presence on the ground in Syria, little information about people from there is available. FBI Director James Comey has warned of “certain gaps” in the data used by the government to screen refugees.
Those “gaps” came up in a classified briefing given to House members this week by Richard. She struggled to provide the assurances they were looking for, and didn’t much beyond her “human rights” talking points. Two members who were there told me the briefing was “useless” and finally members became so exasperated with her that half of them got up and left the briefing room.
It’s never a good time to put the Democrats in charge of national security (well, anything at all).
No, but the Democrats need the votes.
“Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, ... co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)”
That pretty much tells you all you need to know about this proposed sausage.
Democrats want to waste time and talk about laws that already exist so they can appear to be involved..... I call B.S. Republicans last chance to stand up and lead this country if they cannot lead on this issue than we are toast.
To a liberal, exercising common sense is a sign of overreaction.
Exactly, the Tsarnaev brothers were “vetted” too.
By the FBI and the U.S. Army.
members became so exasperated with her that half of them got up and left the briefing room.
More evidence that when it comes to real actions, all we have are gas bags who talk a good game, but have never deliver one.
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