Day: September 13, 2015

Congress must press Obama Administration on Syrian refugee admission proposal; hold hearings

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Update:  It appears the last time either Judiciary Committee held required hearings on the annual refugee consultation was in 1999 (here).  If anyone can find a more recent hearing record, please send it. Why haven’t they been doing their jobs?
We’ve been aware for several years that the Administration each September must consult with the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on the President’s refugee resettlement plan for the upcoming year which must lay out how many refugees we will take, from where they will come, and why this is in our national interest.
(Last year’s Presidential Determination is here and an accompanying report can be found here.)
Reports I’ve received over the years are that the Committees responsible for “consulting” don’t change anything the President requests.  I could be wrong, but at least in the 8 years I’ve followed the Refugee Admissions Program, the consultation and the required delivery of a lengthy report amounted to no more than State Department reps dropping off the report with committee staff.  (I want to be corrected if there has been much more than that over the last decade!).

Richard and Kerry
According to a press release from Senator Charles Grassley’s office, Obama Sec. of State John Kerry and Asst. Sec. Anne Richard intimated that Obama might “open the floodgates” and use emergency authority to go beyond the number the Administration was proposing this week which is 10,000 Syrians for American towns this coming fiscal year.

On Wednesday, Sec. of State John Kerry and Asst. Secretary of State Anne Richard made a trip to the Hill to meet with Senators Grassley and Sessions (others?) where they discussed the 10,000 (some reports say 5,000) Syrians for FY2016 proposal.
They are calling that meeting a “consultation.”  Were Members of the House Judiciary Committee present as the law requires?

Opening the floodgates?

This is what the Office of Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley said after the meeting with Kerry.  It appears that Kerry left the door open for a much larger number of Syrians than the 10,000 being mentioned by the Administration so far.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley made the following statement after a meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry and Anne Richard, Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration. The consultation regarding the number of refugees that the United States will admit into the country is required by law. In the event of an “emergency refugee situation” the administration may admit an additional number of refugees, but only after additional consultation with Congress.

“Secretary Kerry initially said that the Obama administration is seeking a reasonable increase in refugees allowed into the United States in the upcoming fiscal year. But when pressed, the administration indicated that they were considering opening the floodgates and using emergency authority to go above what they proposed to Congress in today’s consultation. The administration also has not ruled out potentially paroling thousands of Syrians into the United States.

Where is the hearing?

Below is a section of the Refugee Act of 1980 which lays out the process which should be happening right now regarding the “consultation” and subsequent final determination.
Calling any lawyers out there to help decipher it!  But, as I see it, both House and Senate Judiciary Committees are required to hold hearings!
((It can be confusing because the text intermingles two processes.  One is for the annual determination (where we are right now in mid-September) and the other is for an emergency situation that might come up during the year.))

This is the statute:

STATUTE-94-Pg102
Here are the sections I’ve selected for your consideration.  I doubt most of this ever happens!

“SEC. 207. (a)(1) Except as provided in subsection Q)), the number of
refugees who may be admitted under this section in fiscal year 1980,
1981, or 1982, may not exceed fifty thousand unless the President
determines, before the beginning of the fiscal year and after appropriate
consultation (as defined in subsection (e)), that admission of a
specific number of refugees in excess of such number is justified by
humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.

“(2) Except as provided in subsection (b), the number of refugees
who may be admitted under this section in any fiscal year after fiscal
year 1982 shall be such number as the President determines, before
the beginning of the fiscal year and after appropriate consultation, is
justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national
interest.

“(3) Admissions under this subsection shall be allocated among
refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in
accordance with a determination made by the President after appropriate
consultation.

[….]

“(d)(1) Before the start of each fiscal year the President shall report
to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives
and of the Senate regarding the foreseeable number of refugees who
will be in need of resettlement during the fiscal year and the
anticipated allocation of refugee admissions during the fiscal year.

The President shall provide for periodic discussions between designated
representatives of the President and members of such committees
regarding changes in the worldwide refugee situation, the
progress of refugee admissions, and the possible need for adjustments
in the allocation of admissions among refugees.

“(2) As soon as possible after representatives of the President
initiate appropriate consultation with respect to the number of
refugee admissions under subsection (a) or with respect to the
admission of refugees in response to an emergency refugee situation
under subsection (b), the (Committees on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives and of the Senate shall cause to have printed in the
Congressional Record the substance of such consultation.

“(3)(A) After the President initiates appropriate consultation prior
to making a determination under subsection (a), a hearing to review
the proposed determination shall be held unless public disclosure of
the details of the proposal would jeopardize the lives or safety of individuals.

[….]

“(e) For purposes of this section, the term ‘appropriate consultation*
means, with respect to the admission of refugees and allocation
of refugee admissions, discussions in person by designated
Cabinet-level representatives of the President with members of the
Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and of the House of
Representatives to review the refugee situation or emergency refugee
situation, to project the extent of possible participation of the United
States therein, to discuss the reasons for believing that the proposed
admission of refugees is justified by humanitarian concerns or grave
humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest, and
to provide such members with the following information:

“(1) A description of the nature of the refugee situation.

“(2) A description of the number and allocation of the refugees
to be admitted and an analysis of conditions within the countries
from which they came.

“(3) A description of the proposed plans for their movement
and resettlement and the estimated cost of their movement and
resettlement.

“(4) An analysis of the anticipated social, economic, and
demographic impact of their admission to the United States.

“(5) A description of the extent to which other countries will
admit and assist in the resettlement of such refugees.

“(6) An analysis of the impact of the participation of the United
States in the resettlement of such refugees on the foreign policy
interests of the United States.

“(7) Such additional information as may be appropriate or
requested by such members.

To the extent possible, information described in this subsection shall
be provided at least two weeks in advance of discussions in person by
designated representatives of the President with such members.

Where is the report?  Was it delivered two weeks ago?

What you can do!

Contact members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees (listed here) and tell them to hold PUBLIC hearings on the President’s plan!

It would be preferable to hold field hearings around the country in some of the largest resettlement locations in the country so that citizens who will be most affected by large numbers of Middle Eastern and African refugees could be heard.  If those hearings hold up the official beginning of the resettlement year—October 1—so be it!
Note to Presidential candidates, this may be the most important issue America ever faces!

Dems plan to use Pope's visit to guilt-trip America into taking vast numbers of Syrian 'refugees'

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

pelosi4
Watch for it! Nancy Pelosi will be sucking up to the Pope as they both promote the resettlement of Sunni Muslims to America and Europe!

If you are a regular reader, you know about this already. The Pope arrives in America on September 22nd and there is already a growing, massive public relations campaign to use his visit to guilt-trip America into taking tens of thousands (100,000!) of Syrian, mostly Muslim, refugees into America for permanent resettlement.
This article at US News and World Report, without saying it, implies that they all know these will be mostly Muslims and not the persecuted Christians (or other non-Muslim minorities).

There really should be protests at the time of the Pope’s visit—in New York and in Washington—calling out the Pope and the US Bishops for making no distinction between the Muslims who could be resettled in the wealthy Gulf Arab states and the persecuted Christians who really have no place to go.

Do not allow yourselves to be guilt-tripped, ask the Pope and the Dems how many Christians will they save?
US News and World Report:

Catholic Democrats are invoking the pope’s moral authority as they make the case for the United States to resettle more refugees from Syria and elsewhere.

pope on Lampedusa
In 2013, Pope Francis welcomed the migrants from North Africa on the beaches of Lampedusa thus helping to invite the crisis now overwhelming the European continent. https://refugeeresettlementwatch.org/2013/07/09/pope-lectures-on-lampedusa/

The lawmakers are leveraging the pontiff’s upcoming visit to call for the United States to do more amid a growing migration crisis that has overwhelmed the Middle East and Europe. The White House said Sept. 10 it would seek to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees next fiscal year, up from 1,293 this year, while increasing the total number of refugees beyond the current 70,000 per year.

“Many in Washington are looking forward to a visit later this month by Pope Francis, who just this week asked the faithful throughout Europe to shelter refugees fleeing ‘death from war and hunger,'” Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said in a statement on Sept. 9 following congressional briefings by Secretary of State John Kerry as part of his department’s annual review of resettlement needs. “In the United States, we can do the same thing. We can respond, as we have before, with meaningful action that is worthy of a nation of immigrants with by far the largest capacity to act, as the world expects us to. I urge both the administration and leaders in Congress to do just that.”

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is also Catholic, made a similar appeal on Sept. 10.

Fearing another Boston Bombing, Rep. Peter King says no to 10,000!

Today’s announcement by the White House that the US will admit at least 10,000 Syrian refugees next year will put American lives at risk,” said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., the chairman of the Counterterrorism and Intelligence panel. “I oppose this decision. We do not want another Boston Marathon bombing.”

Others made no secret of their animus toward Muslims. [You see, this reporter knows that most of the Syrian refugees will be Muslims or this line would not be in the story.—ed]

“If they’re Muslims, why don’t we resettle [them] in the Muslim states?” asked Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, a member of the Judiciary Committee’s immigration and border security panel. “Wouldn’t they be happier? They wouldn’t have to transform a society. They would just fit in like a hand in a glove.”

By the way, get ready for the Leftists and No borders agitators to say that Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan (all Muslim countries) are carrying an unfair burden and taking in the most ‘refugees’ so far.  Remember this!  They are not taking the Syrians in PERMANENTLY.  Most live in camps in those countries and are expected to leave at some point, presumably to go home (or sent to the US!). They will not become citizens of those countries.
The US and Europe are being hounded to take in the refugees permanently, so even if the civil war ended tomorrow those in a pipeline to America would still be permitted to come and to ultimately become US citizens.
Resettlement to the US is NOT temporary and 30 years after bringing the first Somali refugees to America they are still coming—it will never end!
Endnote:  Moveon.org is on the bandwagon too, confirming that this is a Far Left Democrat campaign to build their Leftwing base (security concerns be damned!).  More on that shortly.

Archbishop of Canterbury: UK plan to take 20,000 Syrians discriminates against Christian refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

And, that is because, as we have told readers before, the United Nations refugee camps are housing Muslim Syrians and NOT Christians.  The US and now, according to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Great Britain, are only taking the UN-chosen refugees from UN camps!

WElby
Another Christian leader gets it! Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby: US and UK Syrian refugee policy discriminates against Christian Syrians!

Why aren’t the Christians in the camps?  Because the Muslims “attack and target” the Christians in the camps run by the UNHCR.

If, during Sunday worship today, you hear from your pastor or priest about Syrian refugees (remember the Leftwing campaign we told you about yesterday), you must ask what the plan is for truly persecuted Christians and let your fellow congregants know that the US State Department has almost exclusively brought in Sunni Muslims so far!

From The Telegraph (emphasis is mine):

The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned David Cameron that his Government’s refugee policy is discriminating against Christians facing oppression in Syria.

The Most Rev Justin Welby is understood to have met the prime minister last week amid growing concerns that Christians in Syria will be largely excluded from the 20,000 refugees due to come to the UK over the next five years.

Archbishop Welby raised the issue with Mr Cameron at a private meeting last week, according to a well placed source, over concerns that Christians in Syria will not be given the opportunity to come to the UK.

The Government, in line with European Union policy, is committed to taking in refugees from UN camps in Syria and neighbouring countries. It cannot discriminate in favour of any one religious group.

But the Archbishop has raised concerns that Christians have avoided refugee camps because of fears of persecution from rogue Islamist groups operating inside refugee camps.

In a speech in the House of Lords last Monday, Archbishop Welby said that “within the camps there is significant intimidation and radicalisation, and many particularly of the Christian population who have been forced to flee are unable to be in the camps.”

[….]

“Christians are not to be found in the UN camps, because they have been attacked and targeted by Islamists and driven from them. They are seeking refuge in private homes, church buildings and with neighbours and family.”

A coalition of faith groups from 14 organisations has issued a statement accusing the US and UK governments of ignoring the plight of Christians and other ethnic minority groups by effectively failing to discriminate positively in their favour.

[….]

The coalition of groups said; “Many governments, including the US and UK, have proved unwilling to make provision for endangered religious minorities to be evacuated, despite private individuals, charities and churches offering to cover the costs of the resettlement.

“Government plans, including those of the UK, to accept refugees from UN camps in Syria will not address the problem, because Christians, and other minorities do not dare to live in those camps.”

There is more, continue reading here.

Why are US government-affiliated “religious charities” remaining silent on Christian persecution?

First, be sure to read about the brave Catholic Bishop in Hungary who is sounding the alarm about the Muslim invasion, here!  It is such a relief to know that not all Christian leaders have sold out to the Islamist agenda.
I know we can’t take in the whole world because even the US can’t afford it, but we are a Christian nation and Christians should be at the top of our priority list, don’t you think?
The so-called religious charities among our nine major resettlement contractors have never (to my knowledge in the last 8 years) ever expressed a concern for the Christians of the Middle East. If they had any guts they would say out loud to the Obama Administration—put the Christians (and other non-Muslim minorities) at the top of the list of those to be resettled in America.
One more thing!  If you are asked to open your home to a refugee or refugee family, remember, it will be a Muslim family (unless US resettlement policy changes) and expect to take care of them for a very long time at your personal expense!
Update:  More here on the Left using the Pope’s upcoming US visit as PR opportunity.