Alabama delegation reacts to Jeff Sessions testimony on Russia
Former Alabama U.S. Senator and current U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions appeared Tuesday at a public hearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to testify in the ongoing investigation into Russian tampering in the 2016 presidential election. Sessions’ hearing follows fired FBI Director James Comey‘s. Comey testified before the same committee less than a week ago. During the highly contentious hearing, Sessions said any suggestion he colluded with Russians during the election was an “appalling” lie. “Please, colleagues, hear me on this,” he said. Here’s what the Alabama delegation thought of their former Congressional colleague’s testimony: Sen. Luther Strange: My friend Jeff Sessions demonstrated today why the people of Alabama trust him and why President Donald Trump chose him to be our Attorney General – a complete commitment to integrity, transparency and the rule of law. I trust the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee to finish this investigation swiftly and allow Congress to return to the business of implementing President Trump’s agenda to repeal Obamacare, reform our tax code, rebuild our military and rollback red-tape. Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne: I am not at all surprised that the Jeff Sessions who testified today was the same Jeff Sessions I have known for almost forty years. He was honest, knowledgeable of the law, direct, and professional. I continue to have complete confidence and trust in him as he serves as our Attorney General. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby: I applaud Attorney General Sessions for testifying publicly before the Senate Intelligence Committee. I’m glad he took the opportunity to forcefully defend himself and set the record straight amid unfair partisan attacks. I have always known Attorney General Sessions to be a man of the highest integrity, and he demonstrated that today. Alabama 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers: Thank goodness for Jeff Sessions. He is a man of the highest integrity and honesty. The American people heard the truth today. Now it’s time for the liberal media elite and the Democrats to stop their frivolous attacks on President Trump so we can start the people’s work. Alabama 4th District U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt: Jeff Sessions testimony showed that he is not far removed from the Eagle Scout who grew up in Camden, Alabama. His testimony today was honest, open and direct. And just as the Scout oath says, I believe Sessions will continue to do his duty to God and to his country. If there is anything there, I certainly believe we need to get to the bottom of the attempts by the Russian government to influence our election process. However, I have still not seen a single piece of evidence that Russian interference changed a single vote back on November 8th and certainly not thousands of votes that were cast for Mr. Trump in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks: We have clear unambiguous testimony by Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he has in no way, shape, or form colluded with Russians concerning 2016 elections. It is time for the Democrat Party, Democrat elected officials, and the Democrat Communications Wing (the mainstream news media) to put up or shut up. If any of them have evidence – not hearsay, not gossip, not partisan-motivated lies – that conflicts with Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ sworn testimony, they must produce it or quit assassinating his character so that we can put this matter behind us. The American people deserve far better than the innuendo and falsities Democrats spread in a hyper-partisan effort to impugn the honor and integrity of Jeff Sessions, one of Alabama’s best. Alabama 6th District U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer: While I was unable to hear Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, I am confident that he is a man of highest character and has conducted himself with the highest integrity. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has spent practically his entire career serving the people of the United States, first as a U.S. Attorney then as a U.S. Senator and now as Attorney General, and working faithfully to uphold the rule of law. Alabama 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell: Did not respond to request for comment
Jeff Sessions tells Senate panel he did not have third meeting with Russian ambassador
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, testifying on Capitol Hill Tuesday, told the Senate Intelligence Committee that he had no third meeting with the Russian ambassador last year at a campaign event for Donald Trump. The former Alabama senator was testifying on the Russia investigation, his contacts with Kremlin officials and his relationship with President Trump. The former Alabama senator was testifying on the Russia investigation, his contacts with Kremlin officials and his relationship with Trump. Sessions said he had “no recollection” of meeting Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak at a Trump campaign event at Washington’s Mayflower Hotel, despite an FBI investigation over whether such a meeting took place. He also angrily pushed back on any suggestion of collusion with Russians as an “appalling and detestable lie.” Sessions’ appearance before Congress is the first since recusing himself from the Russia investigation. He took questions from Democrats on any role he had in the firing of FBI Director James Comey, which Trump later said was motivated by the investigations into Moscow’s meddling the last year’s elections. As for his recusal, Sessions said it was “appropriate” to excuse himself from any investigations into Russian involvement in the election, but he did not recuse himself from “defending his honor.” was “nothing wrong” with Trump speaking in private with then-FBI Director Comey, whom he later fired. Comey had “expressed concerns” to the Attorney General about his discussions with Trump about the ongoing Russian investigations, and Sessions said he believed such talks were “problematic” and affirmed Comey’s concerns. The Attorney General added that there was “nothing wrong” with Trump speaking in private with then-FBI Director Comey, whom he later fired. Comey had “expressed concerns” to the Attorney General about his discussions with Trump about the ongoing Russian investigations, and may have been “problematic.” Sessions said he affirmed Comey’s concerns. Sessions also defended remarks he made to Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken during his confirmation hearing. “He asked me a rambling question that included dramatic, new allegations that the United States intelligence community had advised President-elect Trump that ‘there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump’s surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government,’” Sessions said. “I was taken aback by these explosive allegations.”
First Senate Leadership Fund ad touts Luther Strange as strong Alabama conservative
Luther Strange is the beneficiary of Senate Leadership Fund’s first TV ad, which began running Tuesday in Alabama’s U.S. Senate special election. The 30-second ad portrays the incumbent GOP senator, who previously served as Alabama Attorney General, as a conservative with a strong record on religious liberty, gun rights and fighting illegal immigration. “When Barack Obama launched an assault on our religious freedoms, Big Luther Strange said, ‘no way,”‘ the ad’s narrator says. “He stood up to Obama’s illegal amnesty plan too. And fought for our Second Amendment rights, earning Big Luther an A+ rating and an endorsement from the NRA.’” Senate Leadership Fund is connected to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; the group purchased a $2.4 million in ad time on Alabama television and radio stations in Birmingham and Mobile from June 13 to June 27. Ads are set to run through the day of the Aug. 15 special election primary. Strange’s most arduous challenges in the GOP primary — U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore — have also pushed their hard-line conservative social positions. But as POLITICO noted last month: “It doesn’t hurt that Strange is polished, predictable and low-key, in addition to having existing relationships with many Republicans from the South.” If there is no clear winner Aug. 15, a runoff will be Sept. 26. The special election is Dec. 12.
State forms inter-branch, bipartisan Alabama Juvenile Justice Task Force
Alabama’s juvenile justice system may soon see some improvements following a comprehensive review by a group of legislators, judges, law enforcement officials and others. Gov. Kay Ivey‘s office announced the formation of an inter-branch, bipartisan Juvenile Justice Task Force on Tuesday. The 22 member group has been charged with performing a comprehensive, data-driven review of Alabama’s juvenile justice system and coming to consensus on policy recommendations that protect public safety, hold youth accountable, control costs, and improve outcomes for youth, families and communities. “I am committed to improving public safety outcomes from our state’s juvenile justice system,” said Ivey. “This Task Force will build on what is working well in our state and improve what is not.” Formed by Ivey, Chief Justice Lyn Stuart, Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh, and Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon, the Task Force will conduct its assessment of the state’s system by reviewing data from the courts and state agencies, collecting input from stakeholders from across the state, considering strategies tested in other states, and examining how the Alabama system can better align with research about what works best to improve juvenile justice outcomes. “Alabama does many things right in juvenile justice already,” said Chief Justice Stuart. “However, there is more to be done, and I have faith that the Task Force will come together to carefully review what works in juvenile justice and develop solutions that will keep Alabama communities safe and put youth on the right track.” They group will submit a report of their findings and recommendations to state leadership in December with findings and recommendations for consideration during the 2018 legislative session. “Our Task Force is charged with finding ways Alabama can improve our efforts to protect public safety by preventing juvenile crime,” explained Ward. “Working together, we can make sure our state is getting the best return on Alabama taxpayer dollars by focusing our system on strategies that achieve better results for youth, families, and communities.” McCutcheon says the task force will help bring Alabama “into the next chapter of how our state serves its most troubled youth.” “The Task Force is committed to developing data-driven options to help put these youth on a path to productive citizenship,” added McCutcheon. The membership of the Task Force includes: Judge Bob Bailey, 15th Judicial Circuit Daryl Bailey, District Attorney, Montgomery County Gar Blume, Blume & Blume Attorneys at Law, PC Sonny Brasfield, Association of County Commissions of Alabama Christy Cain, Executive Director, Alabama Children First Derrick Cunningham, Sheriff, Montgomery County Senator Vivian Davis Figures, District 33 Representative Jim Hill, District 50 Governor Kay Ivey, or designee Judge Adrian Johnson, 2nd Judicial Circuit Representative Mike Jones, District 92 Steven Lafreniere, Director, Department of Youth Services Jim Loop, Deputy Director, Department of Human Resources Speaker Mac McCutcheon, House of Representatives, or designee Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh, or designee Cary McMillan, Director, Family Court Division, Administrative Office of Courts Jim Perdue, Commissioner, Department of Mental Health Lyn Stuart, Chief Justice, Alabama Supreme Court Senator Cam Ward, District 14 Kay Atchinson Warfield, Department of Education The Task Force will receive technical assistance from The Pew Charitable Trusts.
The fabric of Alabama Maker Nadene Mairesse is stitched into Idyllwilde Studio
When it comes to imagining, making, or mending unique clothing, Nadene Mairesse brings a world of experience to her craft. The California native learned how to sew at an English boarding school, studied art at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, French Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles, and worked on a degree in architecture at Auburn University. Later, she joined a group of architects and designers creating affordable housing for Hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi. There, Mairesse met Eric Gebhardt, a musician from Florence who persuaded her to move to Alabama, where she now combines her sewing, designing and architectural skills as owner and creative director of her Idyllwilde Studio. “I lived in Los Angeles until I was about 7, when my family moved to England,” Mairesse said. “For about eight years I attended an English boarding school. We had classes during the week, and on Saturdays, they taught us how to sew and mend our clothes.” Every summer, her family returned to California, where Mairesse studied at the prestigious Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (now known as the Idyllwild Arts Academy) in the San Jacinto Mountains. “It was a complete artists’ community with a great faculty — I took dance from Bella Lewitzky (co-founder of the Los Angeles Dance Theatre). That’s why I named my company Idyllwilde, because the school was a real influence on me,” she said. “It’s the source of everything I do.” Mairesse returned to the States to finish high school and then attend UCLA, where she earned a degree in French. After a stint co-hosting a television show that covered the L.A. music scene for a French network, she started designing clothing full time. “I had a design business for about 15 years,” she said. “Then in the 1990s, the whole industry changed when my suppliers and sewing factories started moving to Mexico. I couldn’t just walk down the street and meet with them anymore.” But the fabric artist wanted to continue creating, and try a different kind of design. So she moved again, this time to Auburn to get a degree in architecture. “I got offered a job with a group building affordable housing in Mississippi, and I met Eric,” she said. “He persuaded me to come to Alabama in 2013, and I got back into textiles. Since then, Florence has undergone a huge Renaissance in the number of designers, craftspeople and makers who live here.” Mairesse joined that renaissance in 2014 when she moved to a small space in downtown Florence. There she created her Idyllwilde clothing and housewares collection, and started hosting pop-up shops and attending maker’s markets (such as the Southern Makers), selling her dresses, aprons and other handmade fabrics. In addition, she offered workshops, teaching others how to hand-dye indigo fabrics or repair and reinvent old denim clothing. “I sell items on my website, but I like working at the markets and pop-up shops more because I love meeting the people I sell to,” she said. “That’s why I moved into a larger place last month, to have more room to create clothing and teach workshops.” While she specializes in handmade cotton, silk and linen dresses and smocks, Mairesse has been pleasantly surprised at the popularity of another product — her aprons. “I’ve gotten orders for aprons from farmers, barbers, chefs and leatherworkers,” she said. “That’s the great thing about today’s craft movement, just about every profession now has an artisanal section made up of people who love creating unique things.” The Product: Handmade silk and linen dresses and smocks; cotton sundries such as aprons and kitchen towels, and canvas tote and market bags. Take Home: A sturdy chest-to-knees cotton apron with two large pockets and adjustable straps long enough to accommodate most sizes ($78). Idyllwilde Studio, 1213 Chisholm Road, Florence AL 35630 www.idyllwilde.co Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport shows off energy-efficient features
For travelers using Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport over the last three years, the difference between the recently renovated and expanded passenger terminal and the old one is like night and day – literally. Natural light floods the renovated terminal, which was completed in August 2014. It not only makes the terminal brighter and more pleasant, it also saves on lighting costs. It is just one of multiple changes made to the terminal with goal of making the facility more energy-efficient. The improvements are not only recognized by travelers. Last month, the airport was awarded a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Airport leaders, as well as those involved in the design and construction of the modernized terminal, recently gathered at the facility to celebrate the LEED Gold recognition. They also provided guests a backstage tour of some of the airport’s “green” features. Those features include an all-electric, high-efficiency HVAC system, sophisticated building automation systems, increased insulation, and energy-efficient light fixtures, escalators, elevators and windows. The changes are already paying off in reduced energy use and lower energy bills. For example, in January 2011, the airport’s combined gas and electric bill for the old, 265,000-square-foot terminal totaled $129,374. Five years later, the new, all-electric terminal, which was expanded to 450,000 square feet, had a total energy bill that was almost $32,000 less. The modernized terminal also sports a solar water heating system and a rainwater harvesting system. The rainwater is collected in two huge, concrete tanks where it is reused in all the terminals’ toilets. The combined rainwater and “greywater” system not only reduces the amount of potable water needs at the airport (not to mention reducing the airport’s water bill), it also reduces rainwater runoff. Wherever possible, the airport used regionally sourced and recycled materials in the terminal construction, including Alabama white marble. In all, the total recycled content of the airport terminal is 23 percent, while nearly 45 percent of the building materials were manufactured, extracted (like the marble) harvested (wood, for example) or recovered within 500 miles of the site. Even the construction process had a green focus, with emphasis placed on reducing waste, and keeping what waste was generated out of local landfills. In the end, more than 97 percent of construction waste from the project was recycled. Another elegant – and definitely green – element in the airport is the “living wall,” a 1,400-foot-long hydroponic garden inside the terminal. It’s the largest living wall in any airport in the United States, according to local officials. Designed by a Birmingham-area artist, the wall is not only beautiful; it also helps improve air quality inside the terminal. Out on the tarmac, new emission-free, all-electric ground-support vehicles also help with air quality. The plug-in electric vehicles and chargers were purchased through federal grants, with support from Alabama Power. Mike Thompson, director of facilities at the airport, said the modernized terminal is meeting the objectives set out by the airport’s leadership, and the design and construction teams: to create an inviting, functional and user-friendly facility that is also energy efficient, easy to maintain, and a source of pride for the community. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Alabama wins Silver Shovel award for economic development
Area Development, an economic development-focused publication, awarded Alabama a Silver Shovel for solid business recruitment and support in 2016, keeping alive a winning streak stretching back a decade. In announcing the award, Area Development noted that Alabama’s economic development team continues to build on a proven track record of success. “It’s almost like a stuck record in Alabama, but it’s playing beautiful music that economic development officials will never tire of hearing,” the publication says. “Automotive and aerospace manufacturing continues to drive healthy economic activity, enough for yet another Silver Shovel honor covering the news from 2016.” Area Development’s Gold and Silver Awards recognize the overall economic development effectiveness of state economic development efforts. Alabama has won one of the awards each year since 2006, when it won a Gold Shovel. It won another Gold in 2012 and three Silver awards in the years since then. “This award confirms once again that Alabama is one of the most attractive locations in the U.S. for business expansion and job-creating investment,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “It’s a priority of my administration to position Alabama for the kind of sustained economic growth that opens new opportunities for our hard-working citizens and declares to the world that Alabama is open for business,” she added. Growth engines Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange welcomes Gerhardi at a groundbreaking ceremony in Montgomery. (Contributed) Area Development pointed to a “combination of good victories” in the auto manufacturing sector that will spur growth in Alabama. It noted that the state’s top five 2016 auto projects, from companies that include Lear, Gerhardi and MollerTech, involve 1,400 anticipated jobs.“Good automotive news keeps building upon itself,” the publication says. Area Development also said the aerospace industry is elevating its growth in Alabama, with major expansions from companies such as Boeing Co., which is adding 470 jobs to its substantial state presence, and UTC Aerospace, which is adding 260 jobs in Foley. “Four more top projects are flying in from the aerospace and aviation technologies industry, led by Boeing’s plans in Huntsville,” Area Development notes. “It’s part of a restructuring of its Strategic Defense & Intelligence System division that will transfer some jobs in and potentially create more, according to company officials. “Altogether, the top aviation/aerospace-related projects will add a thousand jobs to the state’s economic picture.” Accelerating an ‘evolution’ The state’s 2016 economic development results are outlined in the Alabama Department of Commerce’s New & Expanding Industry Report, released earlier this year. The report provides a detailed look at 405 projects recorded in the state during a solid year of business recruitment and support. The UTC Aerospace Systems facility in Foley is expanding to serve Airbus’ A320 Family assembly line in Mobile, creating 260 jobs. (Contributed) “Alabama’s economic development team is committed to creating high-caliber, technology-based jobs in strategic industry sectors that we believe will flourish in the future and accelerate an evolution in the state’s economy,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Winning the Silver Shovel award for the fourth consecutive year shows that we are on the right track,” he said. Since 2012, economic development activity in Alabama has attracted $24.5 billion in investment and almost 90,000 jobs, according to Commerce Department figures. Exact totals for 2016 were $4.199 billion in capital investment and 14,707 new and future jobs. Alabama joined Utah, Iowa and South Carolina in claiming Silver Shovel awards given to states with populations between 3 million and 5 million residents. This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Jeff Sessions to face sharp questions on Russia contacts
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is preparing for sharp questions from his former Senate colleagues about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse himself from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. The public testimony Tuesday before the Senate intelligence committee should yield Sessions’ most extensive comments to date on questions that have dogged his entire tenure as attorney general and that led him three months ago to step aside from the Russia probe. Lawmakers for weeks have demanded answers from Sessions, particularly about meetings he had last summer and fall with the Russian ambassador to the United States. Those calls have escalated since fired FBI Director James Comey cryptically told lawmakers on Thursday that the bureau had expected Sessions to recuse himself weeks before he did from an investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia during the 2016 presidential election. Sessions, a close campaign adviser to Donald Trump and the first senator to endorse him, stepped aside from the investigation in early March after acknowledging he had spoken twice in the months before the election with the Russian ambassador. He said at his January confirmation hearing that he had not met with Russians during the campaign. Since then, lawmakers have raised questions about a possible third meeting at a Washington hotel, though the Justice Department has said that did not happen. Sessions on Saturday said he would appear before the intelligence committee, which has been doing its own investigation into Russian contacts with the Trump campaign. There had been some question as to whether the hearing would be open to the public, but the Justice Department said Monday he requested it be so because he “believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him.” The committee shortly after said the hearing would be open. The hearing will bring contentious questioning for Sessions and likely some uncomfortable moments for the Trump administration. Sessions is likely to be asked about his conversations with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and whether there were more encounters that should have been made public. And he can expect questions about his involvement in Comey’s May 9 firing, the circumstances surrounding his decision to recuse himself from the FBI’s investigation, and whether any of his actions — such as interviewing candidates for the FBI director position or meeting with Trump about Comey — violated his recusal pledge. Asked Monday if the White House thought Sessions should invoke executive privilege to avoid answering questions about his conversations with Trump, presidential spokesman Sean Spicer replied, “It depends on the scope of the questions. To get into a hypothetical at this point would be premature.” He did not explicitly endorse Sessions’ appearance, saying in response to a question, “We’re aware of it, and we’ll go from there.” Comey himself had a riveting appearance before the same Senate panel last week, with some key moments centered on Sessions. Comey said Trump told Sessions and other administration officials to leave the room before Trump asked him in February to drop a probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s contacts with Russia. In addition, Comey has said Sessions did not respond when he complained that he did not want to be left alone with Trump again. The Justice Department has denied that, saying Sessions stressed to Comey the need to be careful about following appropriate policies. The former FBI director also testified that he and the agency had believed Sessions was “inevitably going to recuse” for reasons he said he could not elaborate on. “We also were aware of facts that I can’t discuss in an open setting that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic,” Comey said. Sessions’ appearance before the intelligence committee is an indication of just how much the Russia investigation has shaded his tenure. White House frustrations with the Justice Department spilled into public view last week, when Trump on Twitter criticized the legal strategy in defending his proposed travel ban. Spicer, the spokesman, declined to say then that Sessions enjoyed Trump’s confidence, though spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said later in the week that the president had confidence “in all of his Cabinet.” Though the Justice Department maintains that it has fully disclosed the extent of Sessions’ foreign contacts last year, lawmakers have continued to press him for answers about an April 2016 event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, where both Sessions and Kislyak attended a foreign policy speech by Trump. Senate Democrats have raised the possibility that Sessions and Kislyak could have met there, though Justice Department officials say there were no private encounters or side meetings. Lawmakers, including Al Franken of Minnesota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, have asked the FBI to investigate and to determine if Sessions committed perjury when he denied having had meetings with Russians. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Q&A: What’s next in the legal fight over Donald Trump’s travel ban?
Another appeals court, another defeat for the Trump administration. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday refused to reinstate President Donald Trump‘s executive order banning travelers from six mostly Muslim countries. A three-judge panel said the administration failed to show that blocking citizens from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen was needed to protect the U.S. The court also found that the president’s order ran afoul of an immigration law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of nationality. Another federal appeals court, the Virginia-based 4th Circuit, last month also refused to reinstate the travel ban, a decision Trump has already appealed to the Supreme Court. Here’s a look at how the rulings compare and what might come next. — HOW DO THE RULINGS DIFFER? Critics of the ban have asserted that the president’s order was motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment, in violation of the Constitution’s separation of church and state. The 4th Circuit’s ruling took that question head-on, agreeing that the ban officially disfavored Islam – as evidenced by Trump’s campaign statements calling for a “total and complete shutdown” on Muslims entering the U.S. – and was thus unconstitutional. But the 9th Circuit sidestepped that question, saying they didn’t need to answer it because the legality of the travel ban could be decided on narrower grounds: It violated immigration law. While the president has broad authority over immigration, the judges said, to invoke that authority in this case, Trump would have to show the entry of citizens from the six countries would harm the U.S. He made no such showing, they said. “National security is not a ‘talismanic incantation’ that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power,” the judges wrote. By avoiding the question of Trump’s motive for banning the travelers, the 9th Circuit avoided a thorny issue about whether courts should consider the president’s campaign-trail statements. The 9th Circuit, however, did not completely ignore the president’s statements. The judges pointed to a June 5 tweet by Trump saying the executive order was aimed at “dangerous countries.” That helped demonstrate that he was not assessing whether the roughly 180 million citizens of the six countries had ties to terrorism, they said. — WHAT ABOUT THE REFUGEES? In addition to banning travelers from six mostly Muslim nations for 90 days, Trump’s executive order called for a suspension of the nation’s refugee program. In his March ruling striking down the travel ban, a federal judge in Hawaii also held that the suspension of the refugee program was unconstitutional. The 9th Circuit rebuffed the administration’s efforts to reinstate that part of the order as well. The court said the president was required to consult with Congress in setting the number of refugees that would be allowed into the country in a given year and could not decrease that number mid-year. That issue wasn’t before the 4th Circuit, because in the Maryland case it considered, the lower court judge had not struck down the refugee program’s suspension. — WHAT COMES NEXT? Attorney General Jeff Sessions said after Monday’s ruling that the ban was necessary to protect national security, and the president was within his lawful authority to enact it. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the administration was confident that the travel ban would be upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The administration has asked the Supreme Court to immediately reinstate the ban on travelers. At the Supreme Court, anything is possible if you have five votes – a majority of the court. The justices have a range of options in front of them. They could order an unusual June argument and try to resolve the travel ban lawsuits before they leave town for the summer. They also could essentially do nothing, leaving the two appeals court rulings in place. One reason the court might feel some responsibility to act – and sooner rather than later – is because the administration has asked for expedited review. The court typically also has the last word when a federal court strikes down a law or presidential order. The 9th Circuit’s more narrow focus on immigration law may appeal to conservative justices on the Supreme Court who might be loath to extend their review beyond the text of the executive order to include the president’s campaign statements about a Muslim ban, said David Levine, a professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. “They don’t need to psychoanalyze the president,” he said. “They don’t need to go beyond the four corners of the order.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
