The world’s most predictable exercise in public hypocrisy is unfolding right on schedule. After spending a couple of weeks belaboring the administration over how it allegedly left our Afghan allies behind, even as the administration airlifted some 125,000 people out of a war zone, the Republicans—and a few too many people in the elite political press—are now trafficking in Scary Brown People stories regarding the administration’s attempts to resettle some of our Afghan allies, and their children, in this country. For example, the Republicans in Wisconsin have gone typically crazy-go-nuts. From Wisconsin Public Radio:
On Friday, state Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point, sent a letter to the governor saying the state doesn’t have enough information about the refugees to ensure Wisconsinites’ safety.
“You have offered no information on whether you intend to insist on safeguards for the people of this state, or whether you intend to close your eyes and open your arms to 10 to 20 thousand potentially unidentified, potentially unvetted, potentially unhealthy people as they pour into rural Wisconsin,” Testin said in the letter.
Testin argued the governor should provide information about how many refugees arrive in the state, their health status, how much relocating the refugees is expected to cost taxpayers and “ejection of any refugees found to have terrorist ties.” He also said thousands of new refugees could strain public safety and health care systems in rural Wisconsin. In an interview, Testin said he’s committed to welcoming Afghan allies to the state.
“We want to make sure that we are helping those that truly need to be helped, those who have helped our U.S. efforts overseas over the course of the last 20 years,” he said. “We’re not trying to make this overly political, we just need some answers.”
Wisconsin Public Radio
U. S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin toured Fort McCoy Tuesday, where more than 8,000 Afghan refugees have arrived .Baldwin was joined by U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan and Ron Kind, along with several Wisconsin Democrats. They toured the facilities, which are extremely restricted in terms of access and met with military leaders overseeing this resettlement.
“Any insinuations by my Republican colleagues that these refugees are unvetted are false. We should not be distracted by those bad faith claims and instead need to focus our energy on ensuring personnel at Fort McCoy have everything they need to do their jobs, and the refugees have everything they need,” Baldwin said.
The refugees are being offered the COVID-19 vaccine.
WISN-abc
Source: Esquire
