Speech #CREC-2017-02-01-pt1-PgH824-2_t1

That is because this is a targeted approach to deal with the threat posed by terrorists who operate freely in these failed states and pose a direct threat to the American people. There is absolutely nothing in this executive order that says anything about banning any particular group of people. Another shortsighted fallacy being propagated is that President Trump is the only President to ever implement restrictions on refugee admissions. Conveniently forgotten is the fact that in 2011, President Obama stopped processing refugees from Iraq for 6 months after a terrorist plot was uncovered involving two Iraqi refugees who had come into the United States. Previous Presidents of both parties have responded to global threats with refugee admission limitations, so characterizing Trump's actions is unprecedented, is simply fiction and a gross demonstration of partisanship. As ISIS has infiltrated the ranks of refugees in Europe, the President is similarly responding to global threats with the appropriate safeguards as he sees fit. This is something that he should be praised for--not condemned. The notion that the executive order is inherently un-American must be addressed as well. After all, America is the land made up of immigrants that has been a safe harbor to millions fleeing persecution around the world since her inception. But in order for this to continue, we must be vigilant to protect our homeland. America is the greatest Nation in the world, and if we let up on our pursuit of the highest national security standards, we will see this greatness slip away--to the detriment not only of all American citizens, but to the entire world. Finally, I must address the false notion that having a Christian ethic demands that we accept all refugees with open arms. Well, if that is the case, why aren't we opening the doors wide to the 60 million refugees worldwide rather than only a fraction of 1 percent? As a follower of Jesus Christ, I do believe that we should help those in need around us, and that America should be involved in helping the displaced and persecuted whenever we can. Perhaps a more compassionate approach might be to take the money that we spend settling one refugee in the United States and, instead, for the same price, provide for 12, for a dozen, refugees in a safe haven near their own home countries. Just as a father's primary responsibility is to care for his own children, the chief role of the President and other national leaders is to ensure the best interest of the citizens under their charge. If President Trump were to overlook the safety of the American people, it would simply be an abdication of his own responsibility that the American people elected him to do.