Search Results: social security number

I was looking through this question: What are the odds that this current attempt to impeach will backfire on the Dems? and I noticed a lot of people lying about how the closed-door process is somehow corrupt. That lie is being reinforced by the theatre of a group of Republicans breaking security protocols to disrupt a deposition (some of whom were even invited, so it was doubly pointless).

Here's the process, as described by Representative Swalwell (D-CA) in an interview:

"So it's a long conference table. At the end of the table sits the witness and a few lawyers. There's a stenographer taking every single word down. That's a court reporter essentially. On one side of the table are the Democratic members. On the other side are the Republican members. And staff for both sides. We start with an hour of questioning by the Democrats. Then an hour of questioning by the Republicans. Members or staff may ask questions and in many cases, both do. And then we go 45 minutes Democrats, 45 minutes over to the Republicans until both sides say they're done. It's not Democrats say we're done and we're out. It's when both sides say they have no further questions. [...]

[The Republicans] can spend their [time] any way they like. They can do it in, you know, Russian if they want to ask the questions that way. But they have equal opportunity to ask the questions. There's no limitations on the questions that they ask. And there's no limitations on the number of members that can be in the room who are on the three committees."

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- The State Department is now requiring nearly all applicants for U. S. visas to submit their social media usernames, previous email addresses and phone numbers. It's a vast expansion of the Trump administration's enhanced screening of potential immigrants and visitors.

In a move that's just taken effect after approval of the revised application forms, the department says it has updated its immigrant and nonimmigrant visa forms to request the additional information, including "social media identifiers," from almost all U. S. applicants.

The change, which was proposed in March 2018, is expected to affect about 15 million foreigners who apply for visas to enter the United States each year.

"National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications, and every prospective traveler and immigrant to the United States undergoes extensive security screening," the department said. "We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect U. S. citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States."

Social media, email and phone number histories had only been sought in the past from applicants who were identified for extra scrutiny, such as people who'd traveled to areas controlled by terrorist organizations. An estimated 65,000 applicants per year had fallen into that category.

The department says collecting the additional information from more applicants "will strengthen our process for vetting these applicants and confirming their identity."

The new rules apply to virtually all applicants for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. When it filed its initial notice to make the change, the department estimated it would affect 710,000 immigrant visa applicants and 14 million nonimmigrant visa applicants, including those who want to come to the U. S. for business or education.