By Eric Stock
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) has joined his House colleagues in moving to restrict visa waivers for foreign travelers.
The measure would require anyone who’s been in Iraq or Syria in the previous five years to get a visa, even if they are from one of 38 counties that are part of the U.S. visa waiver program.
It’s not clear when the Senate might take up the measure which easily passed the House on Tuesday.
Davis told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin these are reasonable restrictions.
“There are things we can do to make it better,” Davis said. “We can’t just throw up our hands and say ‘Oh no, we can’t stop anything, so we can’t change things that needs to be changed.’ ”
One thing Davis doesn’t want changed, people on a no-fly list being allowed to buy a weapon. Davis differs from the Democrats on this, saying too many ended up on that list who never should have been.
“Every time we see a tragedy in this country, be it Newtown (Connecticut), be it Aurora, Colorado or now an Bernardino, they immediately pivot to their political agenda on gun control,” Davis said.
Davis added he continues to be amazed by the things that Donald Trump says, the latest is his call for banning Muslims from entering the country. Davis said he expects Trump to fade from the GOP presidential field.
“I think he’s seeing the polls, he’s going in a downward trajectory and I think he’ll probably not be on the scene for very long,” Davis said.
Trump is actually still leading the Iowa Republican caucuses. Davis dismisses that, saying that Ronald Reagan lost the primary Iowa.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
