The continued consideration to allow upwards of 100,000 Syrian refugees into the United States in the wake of the recent Paris terrorist attacks has caused quite the discussion.
Not surprisingly, Virginia’s congressional delegation has staked out their positions.
For you to make your own conclusions and comments, here is what our representatives have said.
From Rep. Rob Wittman:
In April of this year, Wittman introduced the International Conflicts of Concern Act (H.R. 1929), a bill to protect the United States by establishing a framework to temporarily restrict the travel of U.S. citizens to countries of conflict where they may radicalize and then return home to carry out an attack.
‘Friday’s horrific events were perpetrated in part by radicalized French nationals on French soil,’ Wittman said. ‘In light of those events, we cannot continue to ignore the fact that recruitment is a significant tool in ISIS’ arsenal of weapons. Terrorism is an evolving threat, and in order to defeat it, we must anticipate and prevent that evolution. There are already more than 100 documented Americans fighting with terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq. It is essential that we have a mechanism in place to reduce the risk that U.S. citizens will travel overseas, train, and then return home to carry out acts of violence against the American people.’
The International Conflicts of Concern Act would prohibit unauthorized personnel from traveling or distributing material support to entities engaged in armed conflict within those countries designated as countries of conflict concern. The legislation would automatically designate Syria as a country of conflict concern for a one-year period. Perpetrators would be subject to both civil and criminal penalties including up to a 20-year term in prison. This legislation would still allow for legitimate travel by licensed humanitarian aid workers and other groups with the necessary level of clearance.
Congressman Wittman also announced that he will cosponsor the Refugee Resettlement Oversight and Security Act of 2015 (H.R. 3573). Introduced by Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Michael McCaul, the bill would require the President to get approval from Congress before moving forward with any refugee resettlement plan and, if approval is granted, require the Department of Homeland Security to work with the Director of National Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to establish an effective security vetting process for refugees. The legislation would also mandate that the President give priority to refugees who have been the target of faith-based persecution in Iraq and Syria.
“Now more than ever, Americans are concerned about the resettlement of thousands of refugees in the United States without adequate screening or background check processes,” Wittman said. “ISIS has made clear its intention to use refugee resettlement program as an outlet for terrorist infiltration, and yet the President has remained stalwart in his decision to move forward with the resettlement process. This legislation will offer Congress the opportunity to pump the brakes on the President’s plan and implement important security measures that will protect not only American citizens but also innocent refugees.”
Wittman has also joined with a number of his Congressional colleagues in sending a letter urging the President to halt the admission of Iraqi and Syrian refugees to the United States until adequate vetting procedures can be identified and implemented.
From Rep. Robert Hurt:
“Anyone, refugee or not, coming into this country must be fully and completely vetted if we are indeed serious about the security of our country. Given that our screening process is not nearly as adequate nor effective as it should be, it is imperative that we stop the intake of Syrian refugees at this time. And while we cannot justify the risks of admitting Syrian refugees without proper screening, we must maintain our ongoing commitment to provide humanitarian aid to innocent Syrians where we can and seek to assist them in seeking refuge in places closer to their homeland.”
And from Rep. Barbara Comstock:
“Regarding Syrian refugees, leaders from the FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the Department of Homeland Security have told the House Homeland Security Committee that they do not have the necessary ‘on-the-ground intelligence’ to ‘thoroughly’ vet Syrian refugees. Recent reports indicate that ISIS leaders have said they want to exploit the refugee crisis to get into countries in Europe and the West. In addition, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said last month, ‘It is true that we are not going to know a whole lot about the Syrians that come forth in this process.’ It is also reported that thousands of Europeans and dozens of Americans have gone to fight and train in Syria. They now must be better tracked, identified, and rooted out with coordinated intelligence efforts as they seek to make their way into Western democracies and engage in terrorist actions.
“The Administration’s policies and practices do not inspire confidence that they could or would implement proper vetting procedures for Syrian refugees that ensure the safety of the American people. Therefore, the Administration’s policies on Syrian refugees should be suspended and a full review of the program and its security risks should be undertaken along with aggressive congressional oversight. These recent attacks also bring to light the need to reinvigorate our national security tracking tools and abilities to defeat terrorism.
“We are a welcoming nation, and people from many nations seek safety here. But the safety and security of the American people must be our number one priority. The Obama Administration and our allies can provide safe zones in Syria which can provide aid to the Syrian refugees while keeping the American people safe. Contrary to the president’s statements, ISIS is not ‘JV’, ISIS is not ‘contained’, and the attacks on France are more than a ‘setback’. As French President Hollande said, ‘This is an act of war’. As terrorists around the world continue to expand networks and upgrade their capabilities, the United States and our allies must upgrade our capabilities and strengthen our resolve to annihilate these networks bent on destroying our way of life.”
In a letter to President Obama dated Sept. 11, 2015, both Rep. Gerry Connolly and Rep. Bobby Scott signed on to a letter advocating that 100,000 Syrian refugees be cared for in the United States. At this time, they have not made any public comment whether or not they still feel this is the proper course of action.
Update – For those who think I’m misrepresenting the proposal in the attached letter, here are the key points:
* “We agree with the Refugee Council USA’s recent recommendation that the United States resettle a minimum of 200,000 refugees by the end of 2016, including 100,000 Syrian Refugees.”
* To be even more clear, they recommend the U.S. take 65,000 additional refugees from Syria and go on to say,
* “Allowing an additional 130,000 refugees into our country would make up less than a quarter of one percent of our population.”
