Senate Democrats Want Vote on Religious Test for Immigrants
By Richard Lardner, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Jan 20, 2016, 10:39 AM ET
Senate Democrats maneuvered Wednesday to put Republicans on the spot with an election-year vote on legislation barring a religious test for immigrants.
Democrats hope the vote would force Republicans to take sides for or against presidential candidate Donald Trump, who's called for barring Muslims from coming to the U.S. The vote would come less than three weeks before the Iowa caucuses.
Democrats sought the vote as their price for allowing Republicans to move ahead with legislation cracking down on Syrian refugees coming to this country. The GOP-backed American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act cleared the House in November with 289 votes — a veto-proof margin that included 47 Democrats, despite President Barack Obama's opposition.
"This bill the Republican leader is bringing to the floor scapegoats refugees who are fleeing war and torture instead of creating real solutions to keep Americans safe," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/senate-leader-fearmongering-syrian-refugee-bill-36391409
