Supper's Ready.
Posted on 11/19/2015 12:26:21 PM PST by xzins
In a stinging rebuke to President Barack Obama by Republicans and Democrats, the House ignored a veto threat Thursday and overwhelmingly approved GOP legislation erecting fresh hurdles for Syrian and Iraqi refugees trying to enter the United States.
Forty-seven Democrats joined all but two Republicans as the House passed the measure by a veto-proof 289-137 margin, a major setback to the lame duck president on an issue —the Islamic State group and the refugees fleeing it — that shows no signs of easing. The vote exceeded the two-thirds majority required to override a veto, and came despite a rushed, early morning visit to the Capitol by senior administration officials in a futile attempt to limit Democratic defections.
Thursday's roll call came six days after a burst of bombings and shootings in Paris killed 129 people, wounded many more and revived post-9/11 jitters in the U.S. and Europe. The attacks have turned the question of admitting people fleeing war-torn Syria and Iraq into a high-stakes political issue in both the United States and Europe, and many congressional Democrats were willing to vote against Obama for fear of angering voters nervous about security at home.
Democrats opposing the GOP bill said the U.S. has no business abandoning its age-old values, including being a safe haven for people fleeing countries racked by violence. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks and controls vast swathes of Syria and Iraq, despite a growing military campaign against them by the U.S. and other nations.
"Defeating terrorism should not mean slamming the door in the faces of those fleeing the terrorists. We might as well take down the Statue of Liberty," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
Republicans said that in dangerous times, the government must first protect its own.
"It is against the values of our nation and the values of a free society to give terrorists the opening they are looking for" by not tightening entry restrictions, said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
The 47 Democrats who backed the bill, largely moderates and lawmakers facing potentially tough re-elections, were joined by 242 Republicans. Voting no were 135 Democrats and two Republicans, North Carolina Rep. Walter Jones and Iowa Rep. Steve King.
Before Thursday's House vote, the White House sent chief of staff Denis McDonough and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to the Capitol to try winning over Democrats. Democratic aides said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., had a forceful exchange with Johnson, saying that opposition to the bill would be a terrible vote for Democrats that could cost them seats in next year's elections.
With the House's 246 Republicans ready to solidly support the legislation, the administration was eager to keep the final tally for the bill below the two-thirds margin required to override a veto. In a sign of the conflicting political undercurrents confronting Democrats, senior House Democrats said they did not push rank-and-file lawmakers to oppose the bill.
"I've said to them from the start, 'Nobody's asked you to do anything. Do whatever works for you, for your district,'" House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who opposed the legislation, told journalists.
Freshman Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb., who faces a tough re-election fight next year, called the Paris attacks "a game changer" and supported the bill, saying, "I cannot sit back and ignore the concerns of my constituents and the American public."
The measure, which in effect would suspend admissions of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, would require the FBI to conduct background checks on people coming to the U.S. from those countries. It would oblige the heads of the FBI and Homeland Security Department and the director of national intelligence to certify to Congress that each refugee "is not a threat to the security of the United States."
On the campaign trail, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. should welcome refugees from the region and bolster America's defenses and intelligence operations.
On the Senate floor, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who hasn't yet scheduled debate on the issue, said Thursday it is time "to press pause" so policy makers could decide whether adequate vetting procedures are in place, calling it "the most responsible thing for the administration to do."
Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he's been disgusted by the comments from Republicans he labeled "fear-mongering and bigotry."
In a statement assuring a veto, the White House said the GOP bill would not improve Americans' security. It said the legislation "would unacceptably hamper our efforts to assist some of the most vulnerable people in the world, many of whom are victims of terrorism, and would undermine our partners in the Middle East and Europe in addressing the Syrian refugee crisis."
The refugee screening process typically takes 18 to 24 months and includes interviews, fingerprinting and database crosschecks by several federal agencies. Syrians undergo additional screening involving data from the U.N. Refugee Agency and interviews by Homeland Security Department officials trained to question Syrians.
The Obama administration wants to increase the 70,000 refugees to be admitted from around the world this year by 10,000, with much of the increase for Syrians.
The White House said that of 2,174 Syrians admitted to the U.S. since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, none has been arrested or deported because of allegations they harbored extremist ambitions.
Nice to see democrats voting on principle,saving their worthless asses next election
see #20
I do believe that.
Did anyone actually see what is in the bill?
I’m so used to getting screwed that I am always skeptical from these back stabbers.
Syrians. Look at what your religion did - you were the most civilized of the Arabs. Now you are seen as disgusting zombie hordes.
How they voted:
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h643
2 Republicans voted NO, North Carolina Rep. Walter Jones and Iowa Rep. Steve King.
They didn’t all quit just because Obama was elected....thank God!
Otherwise, it would mean that we had given up.
__________________
There are good individual agents, yes.
What has the CIA/FBI (as an organization)done in any of their investigations of high profile individuals? What have they done about Benghazi or the multiple Clinton scandals?
A BILL
To require that supplemental certifications and background investigations be completed prior to the admission of certain aliens as refugees, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015’ or as the `American SAFE Act of 2015’.
SEC. 2. REVIEW OF REFUGEES TO IDENTIFY SECURITY THREATS TO THE UNITED STATES.
(a) Background Investigation- In addition to the screening conducted by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall take all actions necessary to ensure that each covered alien receives a thorough background investigation prior to admission as a refugee. A covered alien may not be admitted as a refugee until the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation certifies to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence that each covered alien has received a background investigation that is sufficient to determine whether the covered alien is a threat to the security of the United States.
(b) Certification by Unanimous Concurrence- A covered alien may only be admitted to the United States after the Secretary of Homeland Security, with the unanimous concurrence of the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Director of National Intelligence, certifies to the appropriate Congressional Committees that the covered alien is not a threat to the security of the United States.
(c) Inspector General Review of Certifications- The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall conduct a risk-based review of all certifications made under subsection (b) each year and shall provide an annual report detailing the findings to the appropriate Congressional Committees.
(d) Monthly Report- The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the appropriate Congressional Committees a monthly report on the total number of applications for admission with regard to which a certification under subsection (b) was made and the number of covered aliens with regard to whom such a certification was not made for the month preceding the date of the report. The report shall include, for each covered alien with regard to whom a certification was not made, the concurrence or nonconcurrence of each person whose concurrence was required by subsection (b).
(e) Definitions- In this Act:
(1) COVERED ALIEN- The term `covered alien’ means any alien applying for admission to the United States as a refugee who—
(A) is a national or resident of Iraq or Syria;
(B) has no nationality and whose last habitual residence was in Iraq or Syria; or
(C) has been present in Iraq or Syria at any time on or after March 1, 2011.
(2) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE- The term `appropriate Congressional Committees’ means—
(A) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(B) the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(E) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(F) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(G) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives;
(H) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives;
(I) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives;
(J) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives;
(K) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(L) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
Steve King is pretty conservative. He’s protesting the lack of preference for Christian refugees.
But, in reality, as I look at the numbers, this is not veto proof. 2 democrats voted yes and 6 abstained. That will put the nays to 145 and twice 145 is 290. The yay vote was 289.
Steve King is pretty conservative. He’s protesting the lack of preference for Christian refugees.
But, in reality, as I look at the numbers, this is not veto proof. 2 democrats voted yes and 6 abstained. That will put the nays to 145 and twice 145 is 290. The YEA
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., had a forceful exchange with Johnson, saying that opposition to the bill would be a terrible vote for Democrats that could cost them seats in next year’s elections.
********************************************************************
Obama has shown repeatedly that he doesn’t care if democrats lose their seats because of his policies.
That’s gonna get Baraq wee-weed up for sure.
Good.
Actually, I’m fine with 3 year old orphans. They have no moms, no dads, and no memory. Let them all in.
*********************************************************************
The demand from adoptive parents for children age 3 and under far exceeds the existing supply.
Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. should welcome refugees from the region and bolster America’s defenses and intelligence operations
... eat your peas
you Mr. _resident.
After the events in Paris on 11/13, I will be adding
this to my posts for the next week. I'm certain our
turn is coming again soon. We stand united against
Islamic extremists.
Some music for reflection if the mood strikes you.
Courtesy of: Kartographer
beautiful [02:23]
An honorable mention also goes out to Lassana Bathily , a Muslim immigrant from Mali.
Mr. Bathily sheltered customers at the Jewish Deli and helped police by providing info
on the terrorists, and providing the location of survivors in the deli.
Courtesy of: Tijeras_Slim
After the events in Paris on 11/13, I will be adding
this to my posts for the next week. I'm certain our
turn is coming again soon. We stand united against
Islamic extremists.
Some music for reflection if the mood strikes you.
Courtesy of: Kartographer
beautiful [02:23]
An honorable mention also goes out to Lassana Bathily , a Muslim immigrant from Mali.
Mr. Bathily sheltered customers at the Jewish Deli and helped police by providing info
on the terrorists, and providing the location of survivors in the deli.
Courtesy of: Tijeras_Slim
Look again:
47 Dems voted yes and 6 abstained
I’m so used to getting screwed that I am always skeptical from these back stabbers.
Exactly..the Republicans should just change their party name to “The O’Jays”....
My Gawd. Is it possible to get any weaker than McTurtle?
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