U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) voted this week to suspend accepting refugees from Iraq and Syria until the implementation of a more thorough screening process.
Sixty votes were needed for the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act, H.R. 4038, to proceed to further consideration by the Senate. The measure was blocked by Senate Democrats, however, ending in a 55-43 vote. The measure passed the House of Representatives by a veto-proof 289-137 margin.
“The United States has a very generous refugee policy – if not the most generous in the world – but we need to be sure that those seeking refuge among us do not pose a threat to our nation,” Wicker said. “This legislation would do that by ensuring that the process is not exploited by terrorists and foreign fighters. It is disappointing that the Senate will not have the opportunity to strengthen our nation’s security because of a partisan filibuster orchestrated by Senate Democrats.”
The admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees would be suspended under the legislation until the FBI director certifies a background investigation for each refugee and until the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI director and the director of National Intelligence certify to Congress that each refugee poses no security threat to the U.S. Refugee approvals would also be assessed individually by the DHS inspector general to ensure that high-risk individuals do not slip through the cracks.