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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:March 21, 2023Contact:Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov,202-224-4343

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, continued his longtime efforts to return war making powers to Congress by introducing an amendment to repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF).

As we vote to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs, we need to take the additional step of also repealing the Authorization for the war in Afghanistan. The 2001 authorization to bring the 9/11 terrorists to justice was warranted, but like the Iraq war, the Afghan war has long ago ended yet its authorization remains on the books, said Dr. Paul. War is sometimes necessary, but going to war should not be the decision of one person. Ending congressional authorization for the Gulf war, Iraq war and Afghanistan war returns the war power to the American people and their representatives.

Dr. Pauls amendment would formally end the authorization for the Afghanistan war nearly 22 years after the AUMF was first passed. It would sunset the 2001 AUMF after six months, during which time Congress can debate exactly where and how to authorize future force.

The amendment was introduced ahead of the Senate voting on bipartisan legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs, formally ending the Gulf and Iraq wars, which Dr. Paul cosponsored.

Background:

Recently, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which Dr. Paul is a member of, debated legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs, it was approved out of committee by a vote of 13-8.

Dr. Paul continues to be a leading voice in Congress on the need to repeal outdated AUMFs to prevent potential misuse by the executive branch. He has also raised concerns over the use of military force without congressional authorization.

Ahead of introducing his amendment, Dr. Paul wrote an op-ed which was published by Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, you can read it HERE. Dr. Paul also recorded remarks on his amendment which can be viewed HERE.

You can read Dr. Pauls amendment in its entirety HERE.

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Dr. Rand Paul Continues Efforts to Return War Powers to Congress ... - Senator Rand Paul

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Associate Professor Stephen Voss name. The error has been corrected. (March 22, 2023)

WASHINGTON Sen. Rand Paul is the top-ranking Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The Senates primary oversight group. The committees responsibilities include studying the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all agencies and departments of the federal government.

Oversight is an important job, Paul said in an interview with Spectrum News.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., serves as the partys oversight lead in the House of Representatives. Since Republicans gained control of the House in January, Comer gets to set the agenda there. Democrats remain in control in the Senate.

Im essentially the ranking member of the equivalent committee on our side, Paul explained. In my particular instance, I have to convince Democrats to be interested in any of this because most of the power goes to the majority party.

Pauls seat was one of the first races called on Election Night in November and he spoke confidently about the red wave of support for Republicans. During his acceptance speech, he detailed what topics he would take on if he became chairman of a committee.

Sometimes your predictions arent right, Paul said. In the Senate race we have, you know, three or four states each time that are very, very close and we didnt win them.

When it comes to his goals as ranking member, Paul said Republicans will try to put a focus on the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, Paul made lots of headlines sparring at committee hearings with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who at the time was the nations top infectious disease expert.

He [Paul] started injecting himself into controversial national issues even while he was running for his first election to take his Senate seat, said Stephen Voss with the Department of Politics at the University of Kentucky. He has continued, for the most part, to be that sort of flashpoint, controversial warrior type of member of Congress.

During a recent Homeland Security Committee meeting, Paul tried to submit an amendment that would punish fire departments that required COVID-19 vaccinations by making them ineligible for federal grants.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the chairman of the committee decided to override Pauls amendment and avoid a vote.

If this is the way you are going to run the committee, I would suggest Republicans leave, Paul said to the group. I dont see why we should stick around.

This interaction led Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., to address both leaders asking them to take a couple of minutes to lower the temperature.

Theres no need for us to turn this committee hearing into a partisan, ugly place like weve seen in other committees, Sinema said.

Paul later walked out of the committee meeting. Peters told reporters he hopes to find common ground with Paul in the future which Paul will need in order to get things accomplished while serving in the minority.

Also, at the top of Pauls list to focus on is reducing what he calls government waste. Paul, a libertarian-leaning lawmaker, started holding press conferences with a group of other Republicans who call themselves the Breakfast Club late last term. The group generally feels the partys leadership in the Senate is not conservative enough when it comes to spending.

Its a group that feels like we need to do more about spending and debt. Its the primary thing that brings us together, said Paul. In some of the recent battles, such as the end of the year omnibus spending, one its wrong to lump all the spending together in one bill. Its wrong to put it up against a deadline like Christmas and just force it through.

Another member of the Breakfast Club is Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Scott challenged Kentuckys senior senator, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in the race for leader at the beginning of the term. In a private vote, McConnell was re-elected by senate Republicans in a 37-10 vote.

Sometimes being the thorn in the side of your party leaders can result in influence, explained Voss. But, its a dangerous game. Much of the power in Congress results from you helping people when the need it and then they turn around and reciprocate.

In addition to serving as ranking member of Homeland Security, Paul serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, the Health, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee this term.

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Sen. Rand Paul serves as top Republican on Homeland Security ... - Spectrum News 1

During the 2020 campaign, presidential candidate Joe Biden called for immigration reform and a restoration of basic rights for immigrants, including the right to asylum and family unity. He offered his platform as a clear alternative to then-President Trumps immigration policies, which featured the separation of children from their parents, the prosecution and criminalization of border crossers, and the immediate return of asylum seekers to Mexico. One of his first acts in office was to propose a comprehensive immigration reform bill; he also introduced an aid package to address the root causes of migration, especially from the Northern Triangle of Central America.

More than halfway into his term, however, President Biden has switched course on his campaign promises and has returned to some of the enforcement and deterrence policies that characterized the Trump administration.

In January, the Biden administration announced the application of Title 42the obscure health regulation first deployed by Mr. Trump in order to turn back asylum seekers at the border during the Covid-19 pandemicto vulnerable and persecuted populations such as Venezuelans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans.

The use of Title 42 had its intended effect: It decreased the number of asylum seekers from those four countries arriving at the southern border by 97 percent. More recently, the administration doubled down on the denial of asylum at our southern border by proposing to rewrite and reinstate another policy that had been approved by Mr. Trump before being struck down by the courts. On Feb. 21, the Department of Homeland Security proposed a rule that would deny asylum, with few exceptions, to any individual who did not attempt to garner legal protection in a country through which they traveled en route to the United States. This rule ignores the reality that transit countries such as Mexico have very limited asylum systems, so many immigration advocates have labeled the proposed rule as a de facto asylum ban.

Finally, recent media reports have revealed that the Biden administration is considering the detention of families, a practice Mr. Biden promised to end during the campaign. Many Americans should still remember the disturbing images of children being held in tiny cells, with little to eat and nowhere to sleep.

Why has Mr. Biden changed course in such a dramatic fashion, even garnering strong opposition from within his own party? In a word, politics. Polls show that the American public, while supporting positive reform of the immigration system, also wants better control of the borders. As we have seen with past Democratic administrations, the ability of mostly conservative Republicans to demagogue the immigration issue has forced Democrats to abandon our nations history as a safe haven for the persecuted. President Obama, for example, was known as the deporter-in-chief, while in 1996 President Clinton signed legislation that eviscerated due process rights for immigrants.

Still, there is no moral equivalency between Democrats and most Republicans on immigration. In fact, the Biden administration has implemented a lot of positive immigration policies, including the liberal use of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to protect displaced nationalities and new rules safeguarding the rights of migrants in the workplace. And should he be re-elected, Mr. Biden likely will make another attempt to pass immigration reform legislation.

In contrast, since the last immigration compromise bill died in 2014, the Grand Old Party has used immigrationand, specifically, the borderas a cudgel to bludgeon the Democrats politically. Instead of coming to the table to find a bipartisan solution to the problem, many (though not all) Republicans would rather use it as a battle cry to pander to their right-wing constituencies. Instead of standing up to the Republicans, past and current Democratic administrations have failed to adequately respond to their anti-immigrant rhetoric.

What is most disappointing is that Mr. Biden, a Catholic, should know better. As an admirer of Pope Francis, he should know that the pontiff opposes such policies. While the church supports the right of a sovereign nation to control its border, it equally supports an individuals right to migrate and seek protection from persecution. Pope Francis has been powerfully clear on this pointand so have his predecessors.

Instead of ignoring the pope and other Catholic voices on this issuenot to mention many in his partyMr. Biden should work with the church to come up with lasting solutions. His recent meeting with Bishop Mark Seitz, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration, in El Paso, Tex., was a good start.

It is well known that President Biden and the U.S. bishops have disagreements over several moral issues, particularly abortion. It should not prevent them from working on another one in which they can find common ground.

[Related: Bishop Seitz on Bidens new asylum policy: Death cannot be the cost of our immigration laws]

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Joe Biden's immigration policy shift is against Catholic teaching - America: The Jesuit Review

NEW YORK, March 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board (CED), issued a new Solutions Brief, Immigration Reform: An Essential Key to Growth.

As detailed in the report, widespread workforce shortages are playing a significant role in both elevating and perpetuating inflation. Across the country there are almost 11 million jobs waiting to be filleda near-historic high. Even if all currently unemployed workers could fill those job openings, the nation would still have a shortfall of more than five million workersa scenario that underscores why comprehensive immigration reform is imperative.

Left unaddressed, the current labor shortage problem risks jeopardizing long-term economic growth and prosperity. Making the challenge all the more difficult are troubling demographic trends: As the US population ages and birth rates decline, labor shortages will only intensify without immigration being part of the solution.

"Increasing the nation's quantity of labor will require a two-pillar approach. To preempt a shrinking workforce, expanding US labor force participation through steps including reskilling, diversifying talent pools, and supporting older workers and caretakers is a first-order priority," said Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, President of CED. "But, it is not the panacea. Also essential is comprehensive immigration reform that expands legal pathways and encourages immigrants' immediate contribution to the workforce. Further delays in reform will continue to put severe pressures on the US workforce, which will hinder overall innovation, productivity, and growth."

The Solutions Briefwhich can be accessed here and is the latest in CED's Sustaining Capitalism seriesexamines both the short- and long-term economic impacts of the nation's current workforce shortages. It also provides a series of recommendations, consisting of a two-pillar approach, for both policy and business leaders.

Key Recommendations from the Solutions Brief

Rebuilding the US labor force will require policy and business leaders to collaborate on a two-pillar approach: increasing American workers' participation rate and comprehensive immigration reform. CED recommendations include:

The new Solutions Brief, Immigration Reform: An Essential Key to Growth,can be accessed here.

About CED The Committee for Economic Development (CED) is the public policy center of The Conference Board. The nonprofit, nonpartisan, business-led organization delivers well-researched analysis and reasoned solutions in the nation's interest. CED Trustees are chief executive officers and key executives of leading US companies who bring their unique experience to address today's pressing policy issues. Collectively they represent 30+ industries, over a trillion dollars in revenue, and over 4 million employees. http://www.ced.org

About The Conference BoardThe Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers trusted insights for what's ahead. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. http://www.conference-board.org

SOURCE Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED)

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Report: As US Economy Grapples with Nearly 11 Million Unfilled ... - PR Newswire

The results of a new survey reveal strong Republican and evangelical support for meaningful immigration reforms and may suggest that harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric does not resonate with most conservative voters, a leading U.S. immigration advocate said.

We found really high numbers of self-identified evangelicals and Republicans who support reforms and say that welcoming newcomers is an American value, said Jennie Murray, president of the National Immigration Forum.

She spoke about a new survey her organization conducted in February with The Bullfinch Group.

Jennie Murray

We found that there is incredible support among conservatives, Republicans and evangelicals for immigration reforms that are humane and sensible. I think that shows that the moment were in right now is not a policy debate, but a cultural conversation.

The poll found 79% of white evangelical Protestants favor measures to increase border security, provide pathways to citizenship for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, and ensure a reliable workforce for the nations farmers and ranchers. Support among Republicans was 74%, with 16% opposed and the rest unsure.

Among all registered voters, 76% agreed that Democrats and Republicans in Congress should cooperate on boosting border security, helping Dreamers become citizens and provide a legal migrant workforce for farmers and ranchers, compared to 14% who were opposed.

The research also uncovered significant support for migrants seeking asylum in the United States.

Strong majorities also said they would support the U.S. providing refuge for individuals and families fleeing serious persecution and torture (68%-20% overall, 55%-35% among Republicans) and would agree that welcoming newcomers to our communities is an American value (71%-20% overall, 58%-33% among Republicans), the report said.

To have 79% of evangelicals who support versus 9% of evangelicals who are opposed to immigration reform thats huge.

Murray said she was astonished by the findings: To have 79% of evangelicals who support versus 9% of evangelicals who are opposed to immigration reform thats huge.

The polling results represent a rejection of the harsh anti-immigrant language that marked Donald Trumps presidency, she said. The kind of anti-immigrant rhetoric that used to have so much power doesnt seem to hold water anymore. It may have been a political moment that played itself out. But its going away and now you have people saying, Thats not who we are.

The forum and Bullfinch Group survey, which polled 1,200 U.S. adults Feb. 17-22, also showed Americans want solutions to immigration challenges, not just rhetoric.

That begins to show the power of the polling we have been doing, which shows the majority of our country is moderate (on immigration). Thats an important trend to highlight because it allows legislators to see they can get away from the politics of this because they have the support of the voters.

Murray noted the results of the new survey are similar to those of a poll released last month by Fox News.

Fox reported Feb. 26 that 74% of voters want the U.S. to increase federal agents at the southern border and 73% favor boosting the number of immigration judges to speed up the asylum process.

They also favor making it easier to immigrate(73%), which would presumably incentivize people to choose legal pathways to the U.S., Fox News said. Slightly more voters favor allowing illegal immigrants with jobs in the U.S. to stay and apply for legal status (66% favor) than support deporting them back to their home countries (58%).

Taken together, the two surveys should influence conservative politicians to consider supporting immigration reforms that strengthen the border, welcome asylum seekers and lift up the workforce and economy, Murray said. Its really interesting that there was strong alignment between the two polls.

To make maximum use of the forums study, it will be disseminated to the organizations national security, law enforcement, business and faith community partners to lobby the White House and members of Congress.

Were lifting up the voices of our constituencies who support immigrants and to help them say, Look, this political playbook for immigration that is polarizing is just not accurate anymore. Americans are clearly agreed that they want a strengthened border, a humane response to Dreamers and support for American farmers and ranchers.

Related articles:

70% of conservatives still want immigration reforms this year, but its not likely to happen

Majorities of all Americans want something Congress refuses to do: Meaningful immigration reform now

165 religious leaders plead with White House to abandon immigrant travel ban

New survey: Republicans and white evangelicals are outliers in fear of immigrants invading U.S.

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Polling is shifting on conservatives' attitudes on immigration ... - Baptist News Global