House Overwhelmingly Passes Syrian Bill

More than half of the nation’s governors have stated their unwillingness to accept refugees in their states (despite their lack of authority to dictate immigration policy); the House of Representatives voted yesterday to impose stricter screening procedures on Syrian refugees seeking resettlement. Dozens joined Republicans in supporting the legislation, a few fretting openly of being put in the politically untenable position of opposing a reasonable anti-terror bill in the wake of a horrendous tragedy.

The Islamic State, the terrorist group that has claimed credit for the Paris attacks, controls parts of Iraq and Syria and has prompted people to flee both countries. Twenty-seven governors have come out publicly to say they would refuse new refugees from Syria, but in a conference call this week, top White House officials told governors they did not now have that right.

“This refugee situation is unnerving our people”, said Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat and member of the Blue Dog Coalition of 15 centrist Democrats who announced their support for the bill Wednesday night.

Earlier Thursday, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson faced strong resistance from House Democrats at a closed-door meeting. 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.

Democrats took to the House floor to argue that U.S. refugee vetting is already the most stringent in the world, with investigations by several federal agencies taking an average 18 to 24 months. The legislation, according to opponents, would shut down the program. It is important to note that this xenophobic behavior is not just limited to the Republican Party; Democrats too have contemplated a “pause” on resettlement, and voted for the House bill.

The bill, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015, or American SAFE Act of 2015, will now go to the Senate.

The bill would create problems for Iraqi translators, who worker with the USA troops and their rescue is a priority for the military. But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., vowed that a veto would be sustained.

Husain said politics aside, turning Syrian refugees away is callous. “While the United States has no greater responsibility than protecting our homeland, this bill makes no substantive changes to our current process for vetting refugees, needlessly hampering our efforts to respond to a growing humanitarian crisis”.

Grijalva and Ellison said they were proud to oppose the bill which they characterized as a repetition of a past mistakes that have tarnished American history.

There are easier ways for terrorists to get into the United States – to cite one example, the visa waiver program allows 20 million people a year to enter the country. But experts say limiting entry for these vulnerable populations in desperate need of help might not be in the U.S.’ best interest.

Even if Obama is able to preserve his veto, supporters of the Syrian refugee bill are likely to threaten a government shutdown.

“I can not sit back and ignore the concerns of my constituents and the American public”, said freshman Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb. “So I’m going to keep my people in Georgia safe and the nation safe”. Many threatened to halt efforts to allow refugees into their states.