While conservatives cite security concerns following the Paris attacks that may have involved Syrian refugees, others in the party fear the GOP’s position in Congress and state capitals across the country reeks of xenophobia.
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Abbott’s announcement made Texas the third state to declare it would block Syrian refugees from resettling.
McCaul’s office said the bill would ‘put in place the most robust national-security vetting process in history for any refugee population, ‘ and assure Americans that everything possible was being done to prevent terrorists from reaching United States shores.
The Obama administration has pledged to allow 10,000 Syrians to resettle in the USA over the next year.
Individual certification for these refugees, who already undergo a screening process that can take between 18 and 24 months and involves multiple United States security agencies, is likely to slow that process down even further.
Gov. Abbott was not on the call, which was led by White House chief of staff Denis McDonough.
In that call, one of the officials said they regularly interact with lawmakers and state and local leaders to answer questions and clear up misconceptions about the program.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez of IL likened the GOP reaction to the US government turning away Jews fleeing Nazi Germany and placing Japanese in internment camps during World War II.
Americans are split on the idea of sending USA troops to Iraq or Syria to combat the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIL or ISIS), with 44 percent believing we should send ground forces and 45 percent disagreeing. “Until we get a handle on where we are, we need to stop”, he said in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington.
Their criticism came soon after House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., came to the House floor to ask lawmakers to back the legislation, which he called a “common sense” measure aimed at ensuring no terrorists slip into the country as part of the refugee program.
Between October 1, 2011 and November 14 of this year, the United States admitted 2,159 Syrian refugees, according to the State Department.
The refugee issue has emerged as a key political issue in the wake of last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris.
Ryan’s announcement followed a flurry of similar proposals from Republican senators, including at least two presidential candidates, following the Paris attacks in which 129 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured.
“I’ve done many, many things to make sure that people who find themselves in the shadows are taken care of”.
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The ability of Rauner to halt Syrian refugees is also limited. Regarding Syrians already in the US, he added: “I would watch them very carefully”.
