for when it absolutely positively has to be passed without public scrutiny.

Spree at Wake Up America notes the Senate’s passage of the National Defense Funding Authorization Act for 2008. Included in the body of the bill is amendment SA 2872, the “Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act” which contains most of S. 1651, the Senate sister bill to H.R 2265, which we warned about here. (Texual analysis of the bill is here.) A brief speed read of the amendment seems to indicate that it may not include some of the more aggrevious efforts to undermine screenings for terror supporters that H.R 2265 includes, but it still commits to 25,000 refugees within 5 years, despite serious questions about our ability to assimilate that number.

I’d encourage anyone to take a look at the amendments fine print to see just what sort of refugee requirements the Senate has undertaken in the midst of its defense funding. Please let me know what you find.

Also slipped into the Defense Authorization act was an amendment on Hate Crimes, called “The Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act” which redefines hate crimes as more than just race, but also “actual or perceived religion.”

Its worth noting a British act also expanding hate crimes to include religion took effect today. Kennedy’s bill seems to focus primarily on violent crimes including kidnapping or murder, but we’ve already seen plenty of occasions where acts of apparently legitimate protest have been investigated under hate crime statutes.

The hate crime amendment in particular could get the bill squashed by a veto according to NRO’s Byron York last week:

Ted Kennedy’s hate-crimes amendment to the defense authorization bill has passed the cloture hurdle. Now, with final passage likely, Republicans are looking for other ways to stop it, ultimately relying on a presidential veto. According to one anonymous GOP e-mailer: “The defense authorization bill is dead if it remains in conference. But what incredible mismanagement by Reid to let this happen, and what a disdain for the troops for Senators to let the bill fail over this sideshow.”

Whether these amendments will survive conference committee remains unclear, but what is clear, is that yet again, the defense authorization bill has served has served as a dumping ground for every pet project, personal bugbear or senatorial bad idea out there. Certain legislators are cynical enough to believe that the bills which provide our men and women with the means to fight our enemies, are the perfect places to sneak the little acts of surrender.

I’m very interested in other takes on these two amendments in particular, so head on over to thomas.gov, examine them for yourself and let me know.