“It’s is in ISIS’ benefit for people to mistrust and abuse Syrian refugees as they are trying to foster discontent between Muslims and non-Muslims”, he said. “We are not flawless, but we are good”.
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It was a major setback as a large block of Democratic lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, which now needs to be passed by the Senate.
“The country is uneasy and unsettled”, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said.
The White House has says the bill would create significant delays and obstacles for refugees without providing meaningful additional security for Americans.
“It is against the values of our nation and the values of a free society to give terrorists the opening they are looking for.”
Obama administration officials have been lobbying Democrats to oppose the measure. The sweeping support is a blow to President Obama’s administration, who scrambled this week to reassure Congress that the current refugee program effectively filters out potential terrorists.
“We are a divided government”, Pittenger explained.
Obama’s existing plan to resettle Syrian refugees in the USA has roused opposition since the Paris attacks, from more than 30 of the nation’s governors and disapproval from a majority of Americans. “This is an urgent issue and that’s why we’re dealing with this urgently”.
“Let’s stop wasting our time with a bill that’s going nowhere and fails to offer the serious approach we need to keep America safe and address this crisis”, he concluded. A few Democrats complained that the measure would mar America’s image as a welcoming haven for immigrants.
The basis for all this: An unidentified man carrying a forged passport bearing the name of a dead Syrian soldier entered Europe in the crush of refugees from the Mideast and died in last Friday’s multi-target, coordinated terrorist attack in Paris by the Islamic State, when he blew himself up outside a soccer stadium. The second would prevent people on the terrorism watch list from buying guns or explosives, something now allowed, the Democrats said.
If adopted, Europeans or other foreign citizens who have traveled to Syria or Iraq in the past five years will not be granted a visa waiver to enter the United States, a measure now enjoyed by citizens of about 40 countries, all strong USA allies.
The new bill calls for increased vetting of all refugees including “supplemental certifications and background investigations”.
The bill still has to sail through the Senate before being sent to Obama.
Also Thursday, Sen. Ted Cruz attempted to quickly move two bills of his that would address the refugee laws.
This source said the “message on this is too complicated”.
Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, who was undecided on Wednesday, attended the morning briefing with McDonough and Johnson, but voted with Republicans for the bill after reviewing the bill’s details.
“The current screening process involves multiple federal intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies… all aimed at ensuring that those admitted do not pose a threat to our country”, the White House told Congress in its letter threatening a veto.
“People are understandably anxious, and they have a right to expect that their government certify the safety of the refugees”, Rep. Sean P. Maloney (D-New York) told the Washington Post.
House minority leader Nancy Pelosi criticized the proposed legislation, saying it missed a few important and more practical issues.
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The bill was brought and voted due to security concerns, which rose after the attacks in Paris that left 129 people dead. “Anybody comes near my cubs, you’re dead”, she said.
