The Supreme Court decision upholding President Donald Trump’s ban on travel from five majority-Muslim nations provoked sharp reactions Tuesday on Capitol Hill.
Democratic lawmakers like Senator Bob Menendez blasted the High Court’s decision as a stain on America.
“It’s a sad day in the country’s history. We’re a beacon of light to the world because of, among other things, our respect for religious liberty. And I think that [the Supreme Court decision] is a blow against that principle," Menendez said.
By contrast, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republican Chuck Grassley, said the court appropriately concluded the travel ban was spurred by security concerns, not animus to a particular religion.
“It’s based upon evidence that the president was following the law, that Congress had given him the authority, for national security reasons, to intervene,” Grassley said.
Democratic Senator Ben Cardin strongly disagreed.
“It (the Supreme Court decision) is another mark against America and the values that we hold dear. It legitimates the president’s basic Muslim ban," Cardin said.
Republican Senator Jeff Flake said the travel ban is constitutional, but unwise in the message it sends to the world.
“You make this the U.S. versus Islam, rather than the West versus terrorism, and that’s not a good argument to make,” Flake said.
Another Republican, Senator Thom Tillis, said Congress could impose tougher vetting standards for visa applicants that would make a travel ban unnecessary, adding, “We are always worried about that handful of bad actors that are hell-bent on harming Americans.”