WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) joined U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in introducing a bill to rescind President Trump’s discriminatory executive order barring immigrants from certain Muslim-majority countries and suspending the U.S. refugee program.

“This bill would quickly rescind the Trump Administration’s hasty, ill-conceived, and unconstitutional executive order that imposes a new religious test on people entering this country,” said Senator Reed. “President Trump’s executive order banning Muslim refugees is both ineffective and an affront to our national values. This bill would reverse President Trump’s ban and help undo the damage it did to America’s reputation. The American people want us to remain a beacon of hope and they want smart, well-reasoned policies that make us safer. The President’s executive order was unilateral, partisan overreach of the worst kind and it needs to reversed.”

In addition to Feinstein and Reed, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Al Franken (D-MN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

The simple, one page legislative fix states:

“To nullify the effect of the recent executive order that temporarily restricted individuals from certain countries from entering the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. RESCISSION.
The provisions of Executive Order 137l (82 Fed. Reg. lll; January 27, 2017), entitled ‘‘Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States’’, are rescinded and shall not have any legal effect.”

This evening, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer requested that the Senate immediately vote on the bill. The request was denied by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR). Under Senate rules, if any senator objects, the bill can’t move forward.

Senate Democrats plan to introduce additional legislation soon to ensure Congressional oversight of the president’s authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Tonight, after President Trump fired his acting Attorney General for refusing to defend his controversial executive order to close America’s borders to refugees and people from predominantly Muslim countries, Senator Reed issued the following statement:

“Firing the acting Attorney General sends a chilling signal to others and raises red flags about the politicization of the Justice Department under the Trump Administration. But the fact remains: a change of Attorney General will not render the Muslim ban more Constitutional or morally defensible. It needs to be reversed,” said Reed.