House Judiciary Committee Approves Asylum Bill For Homeschooling Families

Shut down the borders! Except for Christian homeschoolers!

The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill Wednesday that would allow people to seek asylum in the USA if they are persecuted by their governments for homeschooling their children. At the same time, the bill would make it tougher for children fleeing gang and drug violence in Central America to gain refuge here. "Shouldn't children who are fleeing child abuse and violence be afforded the same protection as a child who is denied homeschooling?" said Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-Ill. "If we're going to have this unprecedented carve-out for homeschooling, we should put at the same level children fleeing abuse, rape, gangs and murder." The Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, would make it more difficult overall for refugees to win their asylum cases, while opening a category of relief for families who live in countries that outlaw homeschooling.

The Family Research Council, of course, is a major backer of the bill and they have long championed the cause of a German family whose asylum request was rejected by the Supreme Court last year. Homeschooling is illegal in many nations including Germany, Brazil, Cuba, Turkey, Greece, and Sweden.

GOP House Rep Backs Immigration Reform (For Christian Homeschoolers Only)

We last heard from Rep. Jason Chaffetz when he threatened to have the mayor of DC arrested over the legalization of marijuana. Today Chaffetz filed a bill to grant asylum to foreign homeschoolers. Via press release from Home School Legal Defense:

Amid the immigration debate in Washington, D.C., a new bill would make it possible for families who are persecuted for homeschooling to find refuge in the United States. This legislation was developed by HSLDA along with supportive members of Congress in the wake of the Romeike family's 2013 asylum case after they fled their home country of Germany under the threat of fines and imprisonment for homeschooling their children. Introduced as H.R. 1153, the Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act of 2015, the bill is scheduled for a vote in the House Judiciary Committee this week. "We did not want to have to leave our home in Germany in order to homeschool," Uwe Romeike explained. "But when we were harshly treated, America opened its doors to us. America has become our new home. We want to be citizens of this great country, and we are so grateful to the congressmen for writing this bill." The bill explicitly refers to homeschooling as a particular social group and specifies that a person is deemed to be eligible for asylum if he or she is persecuted for homeschooling or if the person resists anti-homeschooling laws in his country of origin.

Chaffetz also tried in vain to stop same-sex marriage in DC.

Tea Party's Debt Solution: Sell Pristine Federal Lands To Corporations

Tea party darling Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) wants to sell millions of acres of pristine federally-protected park land. Leading the list of potential buyers? Timber, mining, and petroleum corporations, of course.

The two-term Utah Republican cites a 1997 report, which Congress ordered the Clinton administration to produce, listing public lands that were not otherwise set aside for oil and gas or mineral extraction or that were not currently in the pipeline for wilderness consideration or protection. “While there are national treasures worthy of federal protection, there are lands that should be returned to private ownership,” Chaffetz said in introducing his legislation earlier this year. “If the land serves no public purpose and is ‘identified for disposal,’ let’s return it to private ownership."

If we really "returned" the land to private ownership, those original owners would not be the ones currently lining the pockets of Rep. Chaffetz.

Mormon Congressman Submits Bill To Overturn DC Marriage Recognition

Rep. Jason Chaffertz (R-UT) has submitted a bill that would overturn Washington DC's brand new marriage recognition law. And fellow GOP House member Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has submitted a bill to block the city's domestic partnership bill. Neither bill is expected to make it through the House Rules Committee. They're both just playing to the hate crowd.

Mormon Rep. Jason Chaffetz Vows To Bring Congress Into DC Marriage Battle

Freshman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), a Mormon, has vowed to have Congress intervene in DC's decision to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions.

Chaffetz, who is the ranking Republican on the House subcommittee that oversees the district, says he is in discussions with House minority leaders on which of several options they will use to try to thwart the sanction of same-sex marriage within the nation's capital. "I'm in a favor of recognizing marriage as a union between a man and a woman," Chaffetz said. "I'm not in favor of trying to redefine it, or disguise it under another name." Unlike any other American city, Washington has no ultimate control over its own laws and budgets and Congress has 30 days in which to cancel the 12-1 vote by the City Council to recognize same-sex marriage licenses from other states. The district, home to nearly 600,000 residents, has no voting member of Congress.

The Democratic majority in the House may be able to block any action Chaffetz attempts. And how is it that a Congressman in office for three months is already the ranking Republican in charge of DC? Must be a shit assignment.