HOUSE REPUBLICANS SEEK TO CUT OFF FUNDING FOR SYRIAN RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM
Nov 16 2015
John Hudson
The growing momentum behind new legislation, still being drafted, sets up a future clash between the White House and Congress as the Obama administration seeks to offer residency to 10,000 Syrian refugees who currently live outside the conflict zone.
The draft legislation, a copy of which was obtained by FP, is backed by Reps. Brian Babin, Lou Barletta, Diane Black, Mo Brooks, Jeff Duncan, John Duncan, Blake Farenthold, Louie Gohmert, Frank Guinta, Gregg Harper, Walter Jones, Steve King, Mike Pompeo, Mark Meadows, and Bill Posey.
The 15 Republican lawmakers pushing the legislation aren’t the only politicians looking to slam the brakes on President Barack Obama’s resettlement program.
Additionally, House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul plans to raise the issue of blocking Syrian refugee resettlement at a Tuesday meeting with fellow Republicans, according to two congressional sources.
In a Monday letter to Obama, McCaul called on the White House to immediately “suspend” the admission of all additional Syrian refugees.
“The high-threat environment demands that we move forward with greater caution in order to protect the American people and to prevent terrorists from reaching our shores,” McCaul wrote.
The rising opposition to assisting Syrian refugees is already alarming humanitarian organizations, which say that doing so defies America’s long tradition of helping individuals fleeing persecution.
“It would be nothing short of reprehensible if Congress cut off funding for the Syrian refugee resettlement program,” Noah Gottschalk, a senior policy advisor at Oxfam, told FP. “The resettlement program for Syrian refugees is incredibly thorough — the layers of screening that are already in place are more than sufficient to ensure we do our duty while keeping the nation safe.” “It is unfathomable that we would turn our backs now as people face their greatest hour of need,” Gottschalk said.
A senior Obama administration official, speaking to FP on condition of anonymity, said security concerns about incoming refugees were unfounded — in large part because they undergo “the highest level” of scrutiny by the government’s intelligence and security agencies.
“All refugees, including Syrians, are admitted only after successful completion of this stringent security-screening regime,” the official said.
Fears about taking in refugees spiked after a Syrian passport was found near the body of one of the assailants in the deadly Paris attacks that killed at least 129 people.
1 comment:
I find it a bit strange that we would allow ANYONE who has not been completely vetted, political asylum - As far as I'm concerned, US 'Trumps' UN... (political asylum is one of the human rights affirmed by Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and a rules of international human rights law. All countries who have agreed to the United Nations Conventions Relating to the Status of Refugees must let people, who do qualify, come into their country)
Besides which, 'ISIS' is a hodge-podge of foreign mercs comprised mostly of non Syrian Wahhabist type brainwash victims anyway... Mostly Saudis but also a lot of Chechnyans and Sunni's from every dark corner of the planet.
I agree with Mr. Trump on this one... There should be close scrutiny placed on Islamic people of all kinds since they refuse to reign in these homicidal fanatics.. What kind of religion allows let alone assists it's young people hijack and distort their faith like that?
Of course from what I can tell, Christians and Jews aren't much better...
I guess that's what happens when you kill your Messiahs, prophets, and saints... Parents lose any legitimate authority they might have had with their children who fall victim to society's predators... A long history of abuse has all but destroyed these people's souls... - These days 'spiritual' and political 'representatives' devour their own people like god damned cannibals.
No way will I willingly submit to US becoming even further victimized.
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