President Donald Trump created uproar both around the globe with his temporary halt to refugee programs and travel bans on visitors from seven predominantly Muslim nations.

Trump ordered a 120-day halt to allowing any refugees to enter the United States and barred any citizens of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen from entering the U.S.

Parts of the order were blocked by federal judges last weekend and the Trump administration has since backed off barring people with green cards from entering the United States.

Southern Arizona congressional Democrats were quick to criticize Trump’s move. Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ03) told The Range that the chaos that followed the release of the executive orders “called into question this government’s ability to do its job and, more importantly, understand its own history. The whole administration right now looks chaotic and unhinged.”

U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ01) said that Trump’s “broad executive order banning refugees from entering our country fails to make America more secure. It ignores our real national security needs and has created chaos at our nation’s airports.”

“This executive order does not represent our nation’s values,” O’Halleran added in a prepared statement. “We can ensure refugees and immigrants coming into our country are properly vetted without violating our Constitution or the bedrock ideals of our democracy.”

U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ02) told the Weekly via email that immigration “must be balanced with the foremost priority of the federal government—protecting the American people. I served on a congressional task force focused on combating ISIS that found very real and dangerous gaps in our vetting processes. Likewise, our own intelligence officials have expressed vulnerabilities with these processes, which is why taking a comprehensive look at them is prudent and should be expected of any new administration. However, I have concerns about certain individuals being denied entry, such as green card holders, those who served alongside our military, and partner military service members who train here, such as Iraqi pilots in Tucson.”

Arizona’s Republican senators were more critical of the moves, with Arizona Sen. John McCain joining with Sen. Lindsey Graham of North Carolina to say they feared that Trump’s order “may do more to help terrorist recruitment than improve our security.”

“Our government has a responsibility to defend our borders, but we must do so in a way that makes us safer and upholds all that is decent and exceptional about our nation,” McCain and Graham said. “It is clear from the confusion at our airports across the nation that President Trump’s executive order was not properly vetted. We are particularly concerned by reports that this order went into effect with little to no consultation with the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security.”

Both senators said Trump’s order would block interpreters who put their lives at risk to work for the U.S. military in danger, as well as hurting refugees who had been vetted and “pose no demonstrable threat to our nation, and who have suffered unspeakable horrors, most of them women and children.”

Trump fired back on Twitter: “The joint statement of former presidential candidates John McCain & Lindsey Graham is wrong—they are sadly weak on immigration. The two senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III.”

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican who was also a frequent critic of Trump during the campaign, also criticized the exec orders via a statement on the website Medium.

Flake wrote that “it’s unacceptable when even legal permanent residents are being detained or turned away at airports and ports of entry. 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.”

This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2017.

Getting hassled by The Man Mild-mannered reporter

30 replies on “So What Do Southern AZ Members of Congress Have To Say About Trump’s Exec Order?”

  1. It’s certainly expected that the Dems, liberals one and all, would stand with enemies of the United States and terrorists. After all, their Messiah Obama was introduced to his political career by terrorist Bill Ayers after his raising by a bona fide communist.

    McCain is a different breed. He and his lemmings McSally and Flake will do anything to protect their power, exactly what Trump is taking away from them.

  2. Actually, all signs point to you being the enemy, What, Again. You obviously hate Tucson, hate Democracy, and hate America. Your comments offer nothing but nihilism and bile. Where exactly are you from anyway? Are you just a soulless Russian troll? You sure sound like one.

  3. Muslims believe that homosexuals should be killed. The left has forgotten to look down the road. Can you see France from here.

  4. Peabo – “You obviously hate Tucson, hate Democracy, and hate America. “

    Is that a test question about sets? Which one of the three doesn’t belong?

  5. And while everyone is looking at the “bright and shiny object” that is the immigration ban, Russian-backed rebels are seriously moving against the government and government forces of the Ukraine with the assistance of Russian cyber-attacks that have crippled electrical and water infrastructures within the country.

  6. And Iran is test firing ballistic missiles in violation of the Obama agreement. These protesters are being used as usefull idiots.

  7. Wallace, it’s not the protesters, it’s that Iran sees trump as an idiot they can screw with. They can see he hasn’t got a clue about what to do, no diplomatic skills what-so-ever. He’s a joke we’re stuck with until the impeachment.

  8. Congresswoman McSally’s “luke warm” opposition to Trump is very disappointing!!

    Members of Congress MUST forget their partisan differences and focus on our National Security and what is in the Best Interests of this Country. We are a Republic with Three Co-Equal Branches of Government. Trump is acting as a DICTATOR like his Russian Friend and Mentor Putin!!!

    Trump is Mentally Unstable, a Crook, and Unfit to Serve in the Office of President of the United States. He is, in fact, Complicit of the Russian hacking of our Presidential Electoral Process.

    He Must be asked to Resign or Impeached by Congress!!!

  10. The whole thing is bungled and many people were inconvenienced. Typical Trump.
    I have enjoyed watching liberals heads explode. Especially when most of them don’t know a single refugee, have never lifted a finger to help a refugee, and have never visited any of these countries.
    Immigration overall needs to be reduced so I support reducing this component. With the high immigration rates of the past 30 years, we could have no immigration for 100 years and just get back to historic averages.

  11. Iran may think Trump is an idiot they can screw with. Just like you and Hillary. Remember how that ended? Only sore losers call for impeachment.

    I have never witnessed a President being attacked for trying to protect its citizens.

    Just sour grapes. Squeeze them into whine.

  12. “….I have never witnessed a President being attacked for trying to protect its citizens…”

    Get Real!!! The 911 Attackers were from Saudi Arabia; a Country NOT on Trump’s Muslim Ban List!!! Why?? He has Financial Interests in Saudis Arabia.

    Trump is Mentally Unstable, a CROOK and MUST be Removed from Office…ASAP!!!

  13. Francis Saitta once again puts his ignorance and hate on display.

    1) It’s not a muslim ban, unless you conveniently ignore many, many countries with primarily muslim populations. Ever hear of Turkey? Indonesia?

    2) The list of countries were identified by Obama’s administration.

  14. Add Saudi to the list but I thought we were just pissing them off. Somali refugees in Detroit have been taught Sharia Law and NO US Constitution. Do you also think that is right? Wait until we see what is coming down the road.

    France is preparing it’s own travel ban. Good for them. Contain this cancer and eradicate it.

  15. Framcis. Suppose we had immigration laws like Mexico? Then what would you say? Take my advice. it’s PRESIDENY TRUMP. Buy a deck of cards and deal with it.

  17. You know how many people from the 7 countries selected killed Americans over the past decade? ZERO. YES, ZERO. 15 of the 18 hijackers from 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia, but Trump has business ties, so they get a pass. There are plenty of evil people born and raised right here in the good ol USA. Oh, and that guy who killed all those folks in the mosque in Canada. Canadian born white supremacist ….just like Steve Bannon (but he was born here…just like Timothy McVey).

  18. Rob, the list of seven was made by Obama in 2011 as centers of radicalism.

    Why did he leave Saudi off the list? Business ties…again?

  19. I think that many of you are missing the point of all of this. the Dems are in the throws of death and they have to make everything about something while they search for a soul. Try to remember back to 2007 when Joe Biden was asked about the young upstart Barack Obama. What did he say? “He is clean and he speaks well for a black man.”

    I knew that you forgot or maybe you would deny it, so I have attached it for you.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgIFV7jXBFQ

    Crazy Uncle Joe? That is the best this clean, articulate African American could do when looking for a qualified VP? he did Biden a favor, at our expense. That’s what lawyers do.

    But this whole made up fiasco (there is no Muslim ban) that now drove Chuck “the schmuck” Schumer to tears is not about heightened security checks on refugees. Not at all. But they knew they could motivate their base to anger. Besides, it’s really all they’ve got left.

    What this is really about is going to happen in a couple hours. You see, when Antone Scalia died, Obama could have nominated somebody of his idealogical bent, like say the avowed communist contributor to CNN, Van Jones. But that could hurt Hillary’s election bid.

    Now let’s remember here that we are talking about lawyers. What lawyers to is use the law in and out of court to take your money. When they can’t get enough, they run for office so they can legislate it from you. And when that is still not enough to satisfy their desires, they load the Supreme Court to take the rest by decisions. They legislate and confiscate. Money and rights.

    Now back to the story. Obama decided to nominate some milk toast judge that nobody wanted so he could piss and moan about obstruction, but that was really all it was for. Their plan was to just run out the clock and let Hillary appoint the next Justice once she won election in November. But she lost. And they lost. All their dreams and aspirations to enforce their total control over your lives, from the air you breathe, the water you drink and the car you drive. If they let you.

    Trump is going to nominate a staunch constitutionalist and when Ruth Bader Ginsberg assumes room temperature he will appoint another one.

    So remember back to last night when Schumer flicked his bic and said “we will fight on and we will win this war!”

    Because it sounded just like OJ Simpson, when he said “I will spend the rest of my life tracking down Nicoles killer.

    I knew that you would deny that too, so I attached it.

    https://www.bustle.com/articles/152052-did-oj-simpson-really-look-for-nicole-browns-killer-as-promised-he-made-a-bold-statement

    6pm is the big announcement. Pop some popcorn and turn the tv on!

  21. Living the good life since the election. Thought it might be time to engage the opposition.

    Let’s get suited up.

  22. “Here comes da judge” Gorsuch will be appointed and next Ginsburg will be replaced. The new judges will guide us back to the USC.

  24. You are never alone. But it’s not about slaughtering the left. I have been professionally trained to understand them.

    Their party is heading for a big divide. Ironically, Trump overwhelmed the Tea Party with his own brand of populist and Republicans are moving towards the center. Just wait 6 months and you will witness a flotilla of conservative democrats leaving the party.

    The movement will become entrenched and the best schools in the country will teach it.

  29. “FRANCE has become the number one target for extremists in Europe, with yet another attack increasing tension in the country today.

    A series of horrific attacks have seen scores of citizens murdered as they go about their day-to-day lives and as a machete-wielding man pulled a knife on guards at the Luovre this morning many will have feared that total would rise again.”

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2777113/how-france-has-become-the-number-one-target-for-extremists-in-europe-and-has-been-repeatedly-brutalised-in-terrifying-new-war-against-terror/

    Here was a pre Brexit assessment:

    http://www.citylab.com/politics/2016/02/european-union-open-border-belgium-checks-syrian-refugee-isis/470733/

    Austria has already constructed a border wall at it’s crossing center with Slovenia.

  30. No trollish comeback for that one, eh Rat?

    You always have one for everything else. They’re never clever, but they’re quick.

    You ignored the last one because the truth stumps you.

    All of your postings prove that.

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