SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner has issued the following statement regarding Illinois' acceptance of Syrian refugees after the terror attacks in Paris:

"Our nation and our state have a shared history of providing safe haven for those displaced by conflict, but the news surrounding the Paris terror attacks reminds us of the all-too-real security threats facing America. We must find a way to balance our tradition as a state welcoming of refugees while ensuring the safety and security of our citizens. Therefore, the state of Illinois will temporarily suspend accepting new Syrian refugees and consider all of our legal options pending a full review of our country's acceptance and security processes by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security."

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Starting Dec. 1, all visitors to Rock Island Arsenal (RIA), who do not have a Department of Defense identification and are 18 and older, will have to be vetted before being allowed access.

Visitors, contractors, and vendors must complete a Criminal Records background check which will be processed through the FBI's National Crime Information Center Interstate Identification Index (NCIC III).  Individuals with certain felony convictions, outstanding wants or warrants, are registered sex offenders and other serious offenses may be denied access.

"This will require providing personal information," said Jonathan Ramsdell, Director of Emergency Services for RIA.

Individuals that lack Department of Defense or Federal identification cards requiring access to the Arsenal will need to supply their full name, any other names previously used, last four numbers of their Social Security number, date of birth, and driver's license or state issued identification card number. The time to complete a background check for one visitor, not including the gathering of personal information, may vary depending on available security staff and the number of visitors requesting access at any one time. Once vetted, visitors will be provided a pass or a credential ranging from one day to one year in length, depending on the purpose and frequency of their visits to Rock Island Arsenal. Children 16 and under are not subject to a background check, but must be accompanied by an adult who has been vetted or who has a Department of Defense or  Federal Identification card, according to Arsenal officials.

The Arsenal announced the changes earlier in the year, and is currently accepting applications in advance for the passes. Arsenal officials say those who have already applied should return to the installation ID office to pick up their pass or credential.

The background check is not unique to RIA. The procedure is a Defense Department requirement for all military installations.

"In today's ever-changing and sometimes dangerous environment, the government/military must maximize their security process to protect installation personnel, facilities and property, including visitors, from criminal and terrorist threats," Ramsdell said previously. "It is the responsibility of every Military Commander to ensure the safety and security of their personnel and facilities this ensures accomplishment of their mission. As mentioned, DoD has established access control standards which include identity proofing and vetting to determine the fitness of an individual requesting and/or requiring access to military installations."

While background checks will be required to enter the Arsenal, the recreational and event facilities are still open to the public.

"The recreational and sports facilities offered to the public at RIA will remain open as usual, r a variety of activities including: golf, gymnasium and special events," Ramsdell said. "The only change is citizens 18and older wishing to take advantage of RIA's offerings will be required to undergo the background check and have a pass or credential to enter the Arsenal.

To help reduce access time, RIA security officials recommend visitors stop by the Arsenal or call 309 782-05551 to request a form via email. The form is also available online at the RIA website at http://www.usagria.army.mil/default.aspx. Once the form is complete, it is best to return the form seven to 14 days in advance of the expected visit date. Those who have already submitted forms should be sure to check back with the office to pick up their completed credentials.
"The Arsenal is still 'open for business' and we are taking these steps to keep safe and secure ALL persons on the installation and to help deter those who shouldn't be on the installation," Ramsdell said. "Hopefully this will allow all workers, contractors, vendors and visitors to feel better about their and their family's safety while on the Arsenal. Additionally, RIA wants to ensure visitors that the required information for the background checks that is provided will always remain secure and only used by installation security personnel."

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley issued the following statement regarding President Barack Obama's possible attempt to move enemy combatants housed at Guantanamo Bay to U.S. soil.  Congress has passed and the President has signed into law several bills that restrict any move to transfer these detainees to the United States.  Most recently, on Tuesday, the Senate passed and sent to the president the National Defense Authorization Act for 2016, which maintains those restrictions, on a 91-3 vote.  Grassley has also pressed for the Obama administration to release the legal analysis done by the Justice Department that authorized the release of five senior Taliban commanders from Guantanamo Bay in June 2014 in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl without the legally required 30-day notice to Congress.  Grassley's June 5, 2014, letter is here.  The Obama administration's response is here.  After an unresponsive reply, Grassley is renewing and expanding his request for information about the Department's role in facilitating the release of those terrorists.   That letter can be found here.

"President Obama's pledge to shutter the detention facility at Guantanamo was always based on the notion that softening America's image abroad would somehow soften our enemies' resolve. The headlines every day remind us that's not the way it is.  If anything, as a direct result of the president's national security policies, our homeland is in more danger now than when he took office.

"There are a number of serious concerns with moving hardened terrorists to U.S. soil.  These include questions surrounding any additional legal, immigration and constitutional rights that terrorists will be afforded by such a move, as well as the obvious public safety threat that would come from permanently housing them in U.S. communities.  Those who remain at Guantanamo include the worst of the worst  -- for example, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.  President Obama has admitted that many of them are too dangerous to be transferred or released.  Officials in New York refused to house some of them even temporarily for a trial.  And many of their home countries won't even take them back.

"Reports have suggested that President Obama may try to go around Congress if he can't secure a change in the law that would permit these terrorists to be brought to the United States.  If so, the President's effort to close the Guantanamo Bay facility will combine two of the worst aspects of his presidency -- his naiveté in dealing with our enemies and his lawlessness when dealing with Congress.  This is reminiscent of when he swapped five senior Taliban commanders from Guantanamo for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl without notifying Congress in advance, which the non-partisan Government Accountability Office later determined was unlawful.  I've been asking to see the flawed advice that the Department of Justice provided in connection with the Bergdahl swap for over a year now, and after receiving another inadequate response, I've renewed and expanded my request for information.

"In the days following one of our most sacred days of honoring millions of U.S. veterans, including thousands from Iraq and Afghanistan, the President should reconsider placing the fulfillment of a mistaken campaign promise over the safety of the American people and respect for the rule of law."

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State Department holds; Grassley addresses criticism from Senate minority leader

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today made the following statement in reaction to criticism from the Senate minority leader over Grassley's hold on 22 State Department nominees over the State Department's failure to respond thoroughly or at all to numerous inquiries beginning in 2013.

"My hold is on 22 nominees, not 600.  I disclosed the reasons for my holds, as I always do, and in keeping with the disclosure policy on holds that I helped to enact.  My staff has been working with the State Department to try to get the information I requested, including complete answers to inquiries from June 2013.  Ironically, if the State Department had answered my questions then, we probably wouldn't be here today.  The purpose of my questions then and now is the same:  Is the State Department using personnel rules appropriately, is it appropriately policing potential conflicts of interest among special government employees, and are taxpayers well-served by how the State Department operates?  Looking out for the public interest isn't a waste of time, and I'll keep at it regardless of misguided attacks on my motivations or mischaracterizations of my work."

The Senate Executive Calendar with details of Grassley's 22 State Department holds is available here.  The holds are on p. 18.

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Fifth Circuit Temporarily Halts Obama's Deferred Action Plan

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley made the following statement regarding the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold an injunction that temporarily stops the Obama administration's implementation of its deferred action plan.

"Thanks to the Fifth Circuit, the injunction on the President's unlawful maneuvering to implement his own policies, without regard for Congress, the law or American workers remains in place.  The Obama administration does not have unfettered authority to execute whatever it wants.  The President simply can't singly rewrite the country's immigration laws.  This is a win for the checks and balances established by the Constitution."

Grassley Seeks Records on Task Force Overseeing $43 Million Gas Station in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is drilling down on the Defense Department task force that led to the construction of an excessively expensive $43 million natural gas filling station in Afghanistan.  The now-defunct Task Force for Stability and Business Operations (TFBSO) cost $800 million in its mission to facilitate economic development in Afghanistan.  The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) faced impeded access to task force documents in reviewing the gas station cost over-run.

"I believe that, given DoD's decision to impede SIGAR's access to Task Force documents, a full review of all TFBSO activities in Afghanistan is necessary," Grassley wrote to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.  "State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development officials said they wouldn't consider continuing TFBSO programs because they were 'liabilities due to safety concerns, lack of sustainability, and other problems.'  This raises serious questions about TFBSO's use of taxpayer dollars."

Grassley asked the Defense Department to give him all records related to task force activities pertaining to Afghanistan, from January 1, 2009, through March 31, 2015; and all records concerning the task force from April 1, 2015, to the date of his request, including all records pertaining to SIGAR's requests for information regarding the task force, and all records discussing SIGAR reports, letters, or statements about the task force.

Grassley plans to seek a Department of Defense inspector general audit of the $800 million task force expenditures and will ask fellow senators to join the request.

Grassley's latest letter to the defense secretary is available here.

Last week, Grassley pressed the Defense Department to cooperate with SIGAR by releasing all documents, names of staff involved and reasons for placing severe restrictions on information behind the construction of the natural gas filling station.

Grassley's letter last week to the defense secretary is available here.  Grassley's comment on the SIGAR report is available here.  The SIGAR report is available here.

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Protecting America's High-Skilled Workers, H-1B reform bill introduced

Grassley, Durbin Push for H-1B and L-1 Visa Reforms

WASHINGTON - Senators Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Dick Durbin, Assistant Democratic Leader, today are introducing bipartisan legislation that would reform the H-1B visa program, consistent with Congress's original intent, by ensuring that qualified American workers are given the first opportunity at high-skilled job opportunities.  The legislation makes reforms to increase enforcement, modify wage requirements and ensure protection for American workers as well as visa holders.  Grassley and Durbin first introduced this legislation in 2007 and have been long-time proponents of H-1B reform.

"The H-1B visa program was never meant to replace qualified American workers, but it was instead intended as a means to fill gaps in highly specialized areas of employment that cannot be filled by Americans.  The abuse of the system is real, and media reports are validating what we have argued against for years, including the fact that Americans are training their replacements," Grassley said.  "There's a sense of urgency here for Americans who are losing their jobs to lesser skilled workers who are coming in at lower wages on a visa program that has gotten away from its original intent.  Reform of the H-1B visa program must be a priority."

"Reforming the H-1B and L-1 visa programs is a critical component of fixing our broken immigration system and must be included in comprehensive immigration reform legislation," said Durbin. "For years, foreign outsourcing companies have used loopholes in the laws to displace qualified American workers and facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs.  The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act would end these abuses and protect American and foreign workers from exploitation.  I thank Senator Grassley for partnering with me on this important bipartisan legislation."

Grassley and Durbin's efforts have long focused on making qualified American workers the first priority for employers.  The bill, as in previous years, requires all employers who seek to hire H-1B visa holders to first make a good faith effort to recruit American workers.

The bill would also prohibit companies from hiring H-1B employees if they employ more than 50 people and more than 50 percent of their employees are H-1B and L-1 visa holders.  This provision would crack down on outsourcing companies that import large numbers of H-1B and L-1 workers for short training periods and then send these workers back to their home country to do the work of Americans.

The bill also gives the Department of Labor enhanced authority to review, investigate, and audit employer compliance with program requirements, as well as to penalize fraudulent or abusive conduct.  It requires the production of extensive statistical data about the H-1B and L-1 programs, including wage data, worker education levels, place of employment and gender.

The bill clarifies that working conditions of similarly employed American workers may not be adversely affected by the hiring of the H-1B worker, including H-1B workers who have been placed by another employer at the American worker's worksite.  In addition, it explicitly prohibits the replacement of American workers by H-1B or L-1 visa holders.  These provisions address the types of abuses that have been well-documented in recent press reports.

The Grassley-Durbin reform bill will for the first time prioritize the annual allocation of H-1B visas.  The new system would ensure that the best and brightest students being educated in the United States receive preference for an H-1B visa.  The preference system also gives a leg up to advanced degree holders, those being paid a high wage, and those with valuable skills.

In addition, the bill includes several reforms of the L-1 visa program.  These include establishment of a wage floor for L-1 workers; authority for the Department of Homeland Security to investigate, audit and enforce compliance with L-1 program requirements; assurance that intra-company transfers occur between legitimate branches of a company and don't involve "shell" facilities; and a change to the definition of "specialized knowledge" to ensure that L-1 visas are reserved only for truly key personnel.

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