Former New Hampshire Republican Party chairman Fergus Cullen said there is “a little bit of ugliness” around the refugee debate.
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Yet there were signs that Democratic allies might abandon the White House on the issue.
Syrian refugees were the subject of a briefing from various federal agencies to USA governors on Tuesday.
Schumer’s comment underscored what could become an increasingly uncomfortable position for Democrats as anxious voters seek assurances that Friday’s carnage in the streets of Paris will not be repeated here. In fact, Gov. Abbott has been one of the more outspoken leaders against the resettlement of Syrian refugees, sending a letter to President Obama on Monday voicing his concern. Yet Germany’s top security official said the passport might have been a fake meant to stoke fears.
Amid the uncertainty, Ryan confronted an unexpected foreign policy test in his third week on the job.
He said members of the blood-thirsty group were following the well-trodden route taken by refugees and migrants fleeing Syria, travelling across the border of Turkey then on to boats across to Greece and through Europe.
McConnell echoed that call, remarking, “It’s pretty clear how the American people feel about this”.
“Today, I will be introducing legislation prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being used to admit Syrian refugees to the United States because Congress must use its power of the purse to stand up to the president’s inactions to protect our country”, he said Tuesday. Do you believe the screening process is strong enough now?
To the governor, he wonders why his loved one can’t do the same.
The worry that ISIL will infiltrate terrorists in the guise of refugees is understandable.
McCaul’s committee also released a report Wednesday on the Syrian refugee flow, saying it reveals “alarming gaps in the vetting of Syrian refugees at home and overseas”. And it’s surely not helpful when a few politicians suggest that perhaps the US could accept only Christian refugees.
“Let us, as legislators rise above petty politics, rise above sectarian fears, rise above the underlying layer of xenophobia that often surfaces in this country at moments like this throughout our history”, Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez of IL urged on the House floor. “They know that they were unwelcomed in another state”, Malloy said. At least that would make more sense.
Obama’s critics argue that accepting refugees could lead to similar massacres in the US. “We can ensure our security and fulfill our highest aspirations as a nation rooted in compassion and commitment to religious liberty”.
Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan said on Wednesday the United States should continue to welcome refugees, but he is evaluating how to strengthen the system. Of that number, about half are children. Just 2% of those admitted are single males of combat age. The overall pool is nearly evenly split between males and females.
The Muslim-Christian disparity among the refugees is even greater than Syria’s population in early 2011 – before the start of the civil war and the emergence of Islamic State (ISIS) that sparked the mass exodus. The others include denials and cases pending further investigation.
“We are horrified and heartbroken by the terrorist atrocities in Paris, but must not forget that there are thousands more victims of these same terrorists who are fleeing Syria with their families and desperately need someplace to go”, Leith Anderson, the president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), said in a statement this week.
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Associated Press writers Bradley Klapper, Mary Clare Jalonick, Andrew Taylor, Deb Riechmann and Alan Fram contributed.
