U.S. Reps. Charles Boustany (R-LA) recently joined his colleagues in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) calling for a vote on the House-passed American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act.
“We must do everything within our power to ensure no one is ever admitted to this country who wishes us harm,” Boustany said. “The hard truth is, there are bad actors who are willing to do anything – including exploiting America’s generosity through the refugee program – to attack the United States. If the administration will not pause the admission of refugees from Iraq and Syria, they should at least be willing to conduct thorough background checks to ensure no one with terrorist ties is brought to this country.”
Under the SAFE Act, the director of the FBI would be required to certify that background checks were administered for every refugee that enters the U.S. from high-risk countries, including Iraq and Syria. The legislation also requires that the attorney general, secretary of Homeland Security and director of the FBI affirm that every refugee admitted to the U.S. is not a security threat.
The Senate has not yet acted on the SAFE Act, which passed the House on Nov. 19.
“Since the Paris attacks, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has proven capable of utilizing the chaos of the region to infiltrate the refugee population,” the letter to McConnell said. “While we have the deepest sympathies for those impacted by the conflict in Syria and the surrounding region, we strongly believe that refugees from Syria and Iraq headed to the United States must receive enhanced screening.
“Our government’s first constitutional duty is to provide for a strong national defense. That is an obligation that all members of Congress share. The American SAFE Act passed the House with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 289-137 and we respectfully request you promptly take this important national security bill up in the Senate. As we move towards regular order, we can think of no better effort than to move a bill forward that emphasizes the safety and security of the American people.”