Tester: National security talk all politically motivated

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., criticized the tone of the debate on policy issues, especially those related to national security.

“I think the discussions on national security are amazingly, transparently political,” said Tester, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Tester said he believed much of the fear  in the country about terrorism in the wake of November attacks in Paris and San Bernardino could be politicized.

Tester said he would oppose legislation as currently written, that passed the house and was being taken up by the senate later that day, that would

increase requirements for the vetting process of Iraqi and Syrian refugees seeking to resettle in the U.S.

The American SAFE Act of 2015, which passed  the House of Representatives  by

a veto proof majority of 289-137 in November, and was co-sponsored by Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., would halt the admission of Iraqi and Syrian refugees into the U.S, until  the vetting process is strengthened.

It would also mandate  that the FBI, Department of Homeland Security director and director of national intelligence sign off affirm that an individual refugee is not a threat to national security before they would be allowed to settle in the U.S.

The bill won majority support in the Senate Wednesday, but failed to muster the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Tester and all but two other Democrats voted to block the legislation from being brought to the floor for consideration.

Tester’s office later said that the senator wanted to add two amendments to the legislation: one that would have prevented terrorists and suspected terrorists from legally being able to purchase guns and another that would have increased funding for the border patrol.

Tester said the bill in its current form, would do little more than add layers of bureaucracy to the process.

“When you talk about an increase in red tape, that’s just what this will do,” Tester said.

When asked if his earlier statement that fear of a possible terror act was being politicized, applied to Zinke, a critic of the president on national security and foreign policy issues, Tester wouldn’t say.

“I’ll let you make that call,” he said.

When later asked for his response to Tester’s statement about the SAFE ACT and the issue of fear of a terrorist attack being politicized, Zinke called the SAFE Act “common sense” noting that it  passed the House with the support of 47 Democrats.

“This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, this is an American issue,” Zinke said.

Instead, Tester said he backs legislation prohibiting terrorists and suspected terrorists from buying guns and closes gaps in the Visa Waiver program.

He also said Congress should take up an authorization for the use of military force against ISIS, something the president requested in his state of the union address last week.

Such action, Tester said, is needed, along with a clear strategy to defeat ISIS, which since 2014, has been occupying swaths of territory in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

Though he opposes sending U.S ground troops, Tester said any ground forces needed should be supplied by countries within the region.

“The goal is to get these folks settled down, defeat ISIS and move on,” Tester said.

He added that without the help of countries in the region, he doesn’t think the U.S can win such a war.

Tester also said that while he would oppose President Barack Obama’s executive action on gun control if it interferes with buying from or selling guns to family members, he urged those who oppose closing loopholes allowing suspected terrorists and court adjudicated mentally ill to buy firearms to rethink their position.

“I wish they would listen to what they are saying,” Tester said.