[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 118 (Sunday, July 26, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5859-S5860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2448. Mr. PAUL submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill H.R. 22, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to
exempt employees with health coverage under TRICARE or the Veterans
Administration from being taken into account for purposes of
determining the employers to which the employer mandate applies under
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; which was ordered to
lie on the table; as follows:
[[Page S5860]]
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. __. NATIONAL SECURITY SCREENING SYSTEM FOR ALIENS FROM
HIGH RISK COUNTRIES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered alien.--The term ``covered alien'' means an
alien who is seeking entry or who has entered the United
States under any provision of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) and who is a national of a
following country:
(A) Afghanistan.
(B) Algeria.
(C) Bahrain.
(D) Bangladesh.
(E) Egypt.
(F) Eritrea.
(G) Indonesia.
(H) Iran.
(I) Iraq.
(J) Jordan.
(K) Kuwait.
(L) Lebanon.
(M) Libya.
(N) Morocco.
(O) Nigeria.
(P) North Korea.
(Q) Oman.
(R) Palestinian Territories.
(S) Pakistan.
(T) Qatar.
(U) Russia.
(V) Saudi Arabia.
(W) Somalia.
(X) Sudan.
(Y) Syria.
(Z) Tunisia.
(AA) United Arab Emirates.
(BB) Yemen.
(2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Homeland Security.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Homeland Security.
(4) System.--The term ``System'' means the National
Security Screening System established under subsection (b).
(b) High Risk National Security Screening System.--
(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a
National Security Screening System.
(2) Information.--The System shall include information
about each covered alien in the United States.
(3) Registration.--The Secretary shall notify each covered
alien who is a new applicant that the covered alien, not
later than 30 days prior to entering the United States,
shall--
(A) register with the System, as part of the visa
application or other entry process; and
(B) be interviewed and fingerprinted by an official of the
Department.
(4) Background check.--The Secretary shall perform a
background check on each covered alien to ensure that such
alien does not present a national security risk to the United
States.
(5) Monitoring.--The Secretary shall establish a procedure
for monitoring the status of each covered alien in the United
States in relation to matters of national security.
(c) Prohibition on Entry.--No covered alien may enter the
United States until after the date that the Secretary
certifies to Congress that the System is fully implemented.
(d) Reports.--
(1) Certification and national security report.--Not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that--
(A) certifies that the System has been implemented; and
(B) describes the specific steps that have been taken to
prevent national security failures in screening out
terrorists from using visas to gain entry into the United
States.
(2) Annual report.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress
an annual report that--
(A) describes the effectiveness with which the Department
is screening covered aliens through the System;
(B) indicates whether the System has been implemented in an
appropriate manner and does not result in the deportation of
individuals with no reasonable link to a national security
threat or perceived threat; and
(C) contains--
(i) the number of individuals screened and registered under
the System during the previous year, broken down by country
of nationality;
(ii) the number of individuals deported during the past
year as a result of information gathered during the
interviews and background checks conducted pursuant to
section 3, broken down by country of nationality; and
(iii) the number of individuals denied entry to the United
States based on a national security determination reached
through the System.
______