Keeping the American People Safe
Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act (H.R. 158) by a vote of 407-19. While I believe we should welcome legal immigrants, we must continually review our policies as threats to our national security emerge. Accordingly, this important bill, which seeks to prevent our enemies from entering the United States through our visa-waiver program, is another step forward in strengthening our national security by improving our system, increasing our border security, and tightening up our laws for those who overstay their work, travel, or student visas. More information on this legislation can be found in my column of December 7, 2015.
Bill of Rights Day
I was recently reminded by a constituent from Southside that on December 15, 1791, the United States adopted the Bill of Rights, which protects the inalienable rights this country holds dear. To summarize them briefly: the First Amendment protects the freedom of speech and religion, the Second the right to keep and bear arms, and the Third restricts the quartering of soldiers in private homes. The Fourth Amendment guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, the Fifth guarantees the rights to due process, the Sixth establishes a number of rights of a defendant in a criminal trial, and the Seventh provides for jury trials in civil cases. The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bails or fines, the Ninth clarifies that the rights listed are neither explicit nor exhaustive, and the Tenth Amendment makes clear that power not given to the federal government is reserved to the states or the people.
These rights, granted by God, have been tested by the storms of history. Even today, the ship that is our Republic continues to be tossed on stormy seas.
But through it all, whether on calm waters or in stormy seas, the Bill of Rights has served to protect that ship and all citizens during tumultuous times. We must continue to guard and defend these rights, even if in the short term, doing so may seem inconvenient or troublesome.
Bergdahl and the Taliban 5
The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) last week released a report pertaining to the Administration’s swap of five Taliban prisoners in order to return to the United States a man who, under the best interpretation, walked away from his post – Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. According to HASC Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX), “Our report finds that the Administration clearly broke the law in not notifying Congress of the transfer.”
“Leading up to the transfer, DOD officials misled Congress as to the status of negotiations,” Chairman Thornberry also said.
For example, talking points devised by the Department of Defense (DOD), the State Department, and the National Security Council advised officials to say they were “not involved in active negotiations with the Taliban” based on the dubious justification that negotiations with the Taliban were taking place through Qatari intermediaries.
Disturbingly, at least three of the “Taliban 5” terrorists included in this prisoner swap have been in contact with terrorist organizations. One terrorist apparently attempted to rejoin. The degree of contact for the other two is somewhat uncertain, but the contact has encouraged terrorist organizations.
Last year, I joined 248 of my colleagues – including 22 Democrats – in supporting H.Res.644, which condemned the Administration’s transfer of the Taliban 5.
Unfortunately, many Congressmen including myself may read future DOD statements with a grain of salt. While I want to be supportive of our defense operations, I do not want to be misled. I don’t think the American people want to be misled either.
Another Broken Promise
When trying to sell the American people on their plans for health care reform in February of 2010, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said, “This [health care] bill is not only about the health security of America. It’s about jobs. In its life, it will create 4 million jobs — 400,000 jobs almost immediately.”
But a report released last week by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found, “The labor force is projected to be about 2 million full-time-equivalent workers smaller in 2025 under the [Affordable Care Act] than it would have been otherwise.”
Health care premiums and taxes increasing under Obamacare, and the labor force is being hurt as well.
Despite the law not having fulfilled broken promises, Pelosi said last year about Obamacare, “I believe it’s a winner.” Many Americans – myself included – strongly disagree.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.
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