Sen. Tom Cotton blocked a move by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring up a bill that would overturn President Trump’s executive order banning travel and refugees from seven Muslim-majority nations.
The Arkansas Republican, who tangled with Schumer on the Senate floor 10 days ago over Democrats blocking Trump’s nominee to head the CIA, accused Schumer of hypocrisy for condemning the executive order and crying over it at a press conference Sunday.
“Here’s the minority leader shedding crocodile tears over President Trump’s immigration and refugee policy,” said Cotton, an Iraq war veteran. “But where were those tears the last eight years when President Obama’s foreign policy created all of those refugees?”
Cotton blocked Schumer’s request to take up legislation authored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, that would rescind Trump’s executive order.
“This executive order has made us less safe, less secure, put our troops in the field at increased risk, and was implemented in a way that caused chaos and confusion across the country,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said upon seeking the required bipartisan consent to bring up the measure.” Most fundamentally of all, it is un-American. If flies in the face of a grand American tradition of granting refuge to those fleeing persecution regardless of their race or political views or religion.”
Cotton, who said the nations listed in the executive order were flagged as terrorism threats by former President Barack Obama, also blocked a request by Schumer to delay the vote on confirming Rex Tillerson, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, until Trump’s executive order is rescinded and “he commits to opposing them.”
Tillerson is expected to be confirmed by a majority vote.
