Rand Paul: Marco Rubio Must ‘Explain Himself’ on Blocking Increased Scrutiny on Foreign Student Visas

GOP presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is discussing his new legislation that aims to stop refugees from Syria from coming into the U.S.

Paul joined Breitbart News Daily with host Stephen K. Bannon, and also blasted fellow GOP presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for previously blocking an amendment that would have increased scrutiny on student visas from countries that have a jihadi movement.

I introduced a similar concept to this back when the immigration bill when Rubio came up with a bill with Schumer. I introduced an amendment that would have put more strict scrutiny on student visas and basically there was a secret agreement between Rubio and Schumer to block all amendments. So, this was blocked once and Rubio opposed much of what was in this amendment the first time.

Paul added, “I think he does have to explain himself because now he’s all big into, ‘lets go over there and have a war over there’ and I say, ‘well, why don’t we protect our own borders to begin with?’”

Rubio pushed the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill in 2013 with Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that proposed a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

The bill passed in the Senate, but didn’t advance in the House, and remains a political problem for Rubio.

Paul said that after 9-11, lawmakers wanted extra scrutiny placed on individuals entering the U.S. from jihadi countries, but that his new legislation goes one step further.

“I don’t think we should have immigration, visitors or students from those countries until we know exactly what’s going on,” or until Americans feel comfortable knowing that people aren’t coming here to attack them.

“We introduced it. It’s going to be put into the hopper today,” Paul said of his bill, encouraging listeners to push lawmakers into supporting it. “If they’ll call their senator or their congressman and tell them to support my bill to stop the refugees from coming that would help. Phone calls do make a difference.”

“This is something I’ve been worried about for a longtime,” Paul warned, saying that he believes in individual rights no matter what the religion is, but it’s time to protect the country.