From ABC
Handful of GOP Senators and Representatives Criticize Trump Travel Ban
A handful of President Donald Trump's
fellow Republicans were part of the chorus Saturday slamming his executive order
that bars entry into the U.S. by citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries.
Most were concerned
that the travel ban is too broad, and questioned its effectiveness in lessening
the threat of terrorism.
Senator Ben Sasse of
Nebraska, a member of the Senate
Armed Services Committee, issued a statement Saturday titled "Border Security
and Muslim Nations" in which he said the ban was too far-reaching.
"The President is
right to focus attention on the obvious fact that borders matter," he
said. "At the same time, while not technically a Muslim ban, this order is
too broad."
Sasse also questioned
if the ban was the most effective way to fight jihadism, and if it will
actually fuel further terrorism.
"There are two
ways to lose our generational battle against jihadism by losing touch with
reality," he said. "The first is to keep pretending that jihadi
terrorism has no connection to Islam
or to certain countries. That's been a disaster. And here's the second way to
fail: If we send a signal to the Middle East that the U.S. sees all Muslims as
jihadis, the terrorist recruiters win by telling kids that America is banning
Muslims and that this is America versus one religion. Both approaches are
wrong, and both will make us less safe. Our generational fight against jihadism
requires wisdom."
Arizona senator Jeff Flake
also suggested that the travel ban is too broad.
"President Trump
and his administration are right to be concerned about national
security, but it’s unacceptable when even legal permanent residents
are being detained or turned away at airports and ports of entry," Flake
said in a statement Saturday "Enhancing long term national security
requires that we have a clear-eyed view of radical Islamic terrorism without
ascribing radical Islamic terrorist views to all Muslims."
As for GOP members of
the U.S. House of Representatives, Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania echoed his
Sasse and Flake's concerns that the ban is too far-reaching, as well as
questioning how it will affect U.S.-based multinational companies.
"This order
appears to have been rushed through without full consideration to the
wide-ranging impacts it will have," Dent said in a statement to ABC News.
"As a result, I fear that this order may imperil lives, divide families,
and create uncertainty for many American businesses that operate
internationally."
He added, "This is
unacceptable and I urge the Administration to halt enforcement of the order
until a more thoughtful and deliberate policy can be instated."
Dent also said that he
had been working to assist a Syrian Christian family who held valid visas but
were detained at Philadelphia International Airport and forced to leave the
country.
Rep. Justin Amash of
Michigan wrote a series of tweets Saturday slamming Trump and his executive
order.
Rep. Justin Amash of
Michigan wrote a series of tweets Saturday slamming Trump and his executive
order.
"Like Pres.
Obama's executive actions on immigration, Pres. Trump's executive order
overreaches and undermines our constitutional system," he wrote, adding,
"It's not lawful to ban immigrants on basis of nationality. If the
president wants to change immigration law,
he must work with Congress."
In another pair of
tweets, Amash wrote, "The president's denial of entry to lawful permanent
residents of the United States (green card holders) is particularly troubling
...Green card holders live in the United States as our neighbors and serve in
our Armed Forces. They deserve better."
His final tweet read,
"While EO allows admittance of immigrants, nonimmigrants, and refugees 'on
a case-by-case basis,' arbitrariness would violate Rule of Law."
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