Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) on Thursday voted against a bill that would fund the government through early December and avoid a government shutdown.
Hagerty, who joined 34 other senators in opposing the measure, explained that his vote against the legislation was due to the fact that an amendment proposed by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) failed to be included in the measure.
“In light of @SenTomCotton’s amendment to the government funding bill failing, I have no choice but to oppose this dangerous bill from the Democrats. It opens the U.S. to unlimited refugee resettlement from Afghanistan with zero vetting, putting our security at even greater risk,” Hagerty tweeted on Thursday.
In light of @SenTomCotton’s amendment to the government funding bill failing, I have no choice but to oppose this dangerous bill from the Democrats. It opens the U.S. to unlimited refugee resettlement from Afghanistan with zero vetting, putting our security at even greater risk.
— Senator Bill Hagerty (@SenatorHagerty) September 30, 2021
Cotton’s amendment, which proponents argue would have improved the vetting process for Afghan refugees, failed on a strict party-line vote.
Cotton and Hagerty have remained constant critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghan withdrawal. Specifically, the two joined 24 other GOP senators and questioned how the refugees are being vetted.
Earlier this month, the lawmakers wrote, “What steps did your administration take to verify the identities of these individuals before evacuation? What steps are your administration taking to ensure that individuals are thoroughly vetted and their identities verified before entering the United States?”
Thousands of refugees that fled Afghanistan are currently being resettled throughout the United States, with Tennessee expected to accept more than 300.
As the process continues, Governor Bill Lee has demanded “transparency” from the federal government.
“Significant details are still outstanding, and as I’ve said before, the federal government owes Tennesseans full transparency into their plan and vetting process,” Lee told The Tennessean earlier this month.
However, other state lawmakers have expressed strict opposition to accepting the refugees.
“I do not have confidence in the Biden administration’s vetting process concerning the refugee issue, much less his ability to work with law enforcement and immigration officials,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) said. “His administration has been a failure on both immigration and foreign policy. Therefore, I do not think it is a good idea for Tennessee to accept Afghan refugees.”
– – –
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
A token vote but I appreciate it.