Rand Paul rejects Donald Trump's immigration plan because he already 'called for something similar'
Rand Paul isn't all that crazy about Donald Trump's widely panned plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States. At the same time, he's happy to point out that he has already "called for something similar," as he explained on New Hampshire Today radio, BuzzFeed reports.
"I think it's a mistake to base immigration or moratoriums based on religion, but you know, I've called for something similar, which is a moratorium based on high risk. And so we have examined where the high risk of terrorism comes from and it's about 34 countries," Paul said. "I would put a pause on all immigration from those 34 countries."
The Kentucky senator and Republican presidential candidate had previously introduced the Stop Extremists Coming Under Refugee Entry Act, which would have put a moratorium on entry from 34 countries deemed high risk. Paul told New Hampshire Today that "people don't seem to understand" that his bill, which flopped 10-89 in the Senate, is a "similar concept" to what Trump proposed.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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