Opinion

Congress is in a rush to pass bills concerning the recent refugees of young, fighting age men from Syria. The bills are along party lines with the Democrats trying to take in as many as will fit in a boat.

Democrats are concerned about the Christians, all of the sudden. Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii has submitted H.Res.435, “Recognizing the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, especially Christians and Yezidis, by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as Daesh, and calling for the immediate prioritization of accepting refugees from such communities.” (minus the Christians they throw overboard) It makes no mention of the Christians persecuted here in America, of course.

The web site, D.C. Clothesline, is reporting on one Texas Congressman from the other side of the aisle.

Texas Republican Brian Babin, from the 36th district, has submitted H.R.3314, the Resettlement Accountability National Security Act of 2015, would prohibit the admission of refugees into the U.S. until Congress passes a joint resolution giving them authority. Section 2 of the bill specifies:

Beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security may not admit into the United States an alien under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157) until such time as Congress passes a joint resolution giving the Secretary authority to resume admitting aliens under such section.

The bill would also require a GAO study of:

1. The average duration for which such an alien received benefits under a program described in section 4.
2. The percentage of such aliens who received benefits under a program described in section 4.
3. The cost, per year, to each program described in section 4 for such aliens.
4. The number of such aliens who paid Federal income tax or Federal employment tax during the first year after being admitted to the United States.
5. The cost, per year, to the program described in paragraph (5) of section 4 for such aliens.
6. The number and percentage of such aliens who received benefits under a program described in section 4—
   (A) 2 years after being admitted to the United States;
   (B) 5 years after being admitted to the United States; and
   (C) 10 years after being admitted to the United States.
7. The cost, per year, to the Federal Government, to State governments, and to units of local government of providing other benefits and services, directly or indirectly, to such aliens.

The benefits listed under Section 4 of the bill that must be reported are:

1. The Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.).
2. The Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
3. Disability insurance benefits under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402 et seq.).
4. The supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
5. Rental assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f).

So these “refugees” will be able to come here and and reap the “benefits” you pay for. We just want to know how much it costs. The benefits that elderly Americans have to wait for (while the U.S. Government hopes they die first), such as disability. They will be waived the fines (or taxes depending on which Supreme Court Justice you talk to) that Americans incur because they cannot afford Obamadoesntcare on their own because they are struggling to feed their families because they are not eligible to get food in a SNAP. The poor refugees will just have to wait until Congress says it’s okay.

Another bill, sure to draw the ire of Senator John McCain of Arizona, is a little more stringent. Republican Representative Michael McCaul of the 10th district of Texas has submitted H.R. 3573, the Refugee Resettlement Oversight and Security Act of 2015. This bill seeks to limit the number of refugees, somewhat.

Before the beginning of a fiscal year and after appropriate consultation, the President shall submit to Congress a recommendation on the number of refugees who may be admitted under this section in any fiscal year.

This bill requires the following reports from the GAO not later than one year after this bill passes (if it should pass):

1. The number of refugees that the Secretary of Homeland Security determined were admissible under paragraph (3) of section 212(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)), but who, subsequent to admission to the United States, became inadmissible under such paragraph.
2. Federal agencies which are not, as of the date of the report, involved in making determinations of admissibility of refugees under such paragraph, which the Comptroller General determines should be so involved.
3. Issues or gaps in the process for determining the admissibility of refugees under such paragraph.
4. Recommendations for improving the process for determining the admissibility of refugees under such paragraph in order to better protect the security of the United States.

The one problem with this bill is that it expects the GAO to report refugees who have been admitted, but we realize should not have been admitted. Does he expect that the Department of Homeland Security would keep track of them once they are here? Once they are nestled in their little cell awaiting orders? They can’t even keep track of an illegal deported five-times who kills a woman in San Francisco. (Don’t worry. They will really deport him this time and he’ll stay deported!)

Section 5 of this legislation would give preference to Syrian and Iraqi refugees who are of a “religious minority.”

Beginning in fiscal year 2016 and ending in fiscal year 2020, when considering the admission of refugees who are nationals or citizens of Iraq or Syria, the President shall prioritize refugees who are members of a religious minority community, and have been identified by the Secretary of State, or the designee of the Secretary, as a persecuted group.

In Muslim States that would lead one to presume he is referring to Christians. We are, however, relying on the John Kerry State Department to make that determination.

One might think that it will take time to for these government reports to go through keeping the invasion at bay. When the government wants something, however, those reports will fly out faster than an appointment at a VA hospital. Okay, that is a bad comparison. Everything in the government happens faster than an appointment at a VA hospital.

None of them seem to readily admit that the U.S. government funded ISIS and now they are hoping that bombing the homes of these refugees will correct their mistakes. How about defunding terrorist organizations by using our own oil reserves instead of paying Saudi Arabia?