Rep. Calvert Votes to Halt Syrian and Iraqi Refugee Programs

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) voted along with a bipartisan majority (289 to 137) of the House in approving the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act, H.R. 4038, of which Rep. Calvert is a cosponsor.

"The most important responsibility that my constituents place on my shoulders is keeping them safe," said Rep. Calvert. "Americans are sympathetic to innocent civilians who have been forced to flee their war-torn nations but we must take effective measures to ensure all refugees coming here have been screened. There is bipartisan concern, including from senior Obama administration officials (FBI, DHS and CIA), that the current security screening process in place is not sufficient. Halting the Syrian and Iraqi refugee programs is not a matter of compassion; it's a matter of competency and confidence in our security screening process."

To ensure that comprehensive background checks are conducted on every refugee from Syria and Iraq seeking admittance into the United State, this the SAFE Act will require two actions:

• The FBI director must certify the background investigation of each refugee.

• The secretary of homeland security, the FBI director, and the director of national intelligence must unanimously concur that each refugee is not a security threat to the United States and make a certification to Congress.

This bill constitutes an effective pause until we are certain that no refugee from Iraq and Syria who is a threat will be allowed in the country.

During a House Homeland Security hearing last month, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson spoke about his concerns with the Syria refugee program: "We know that organizations such as ISIL might like to try to exploit this program. It is true that we're not going to know a whole lot about the Syrians that come forth in this process. That definitely is a challenge."

At the same hearing, FBI Director James Comey also expressed his concerns about the Syria refugee program: "We do see a risk. We can query our databases until the cows come home but…you can only query what you have collected."

Additionally, after the Thanksgiving District Work Period, Rep. Calvert will be introducing legislation that defines the "certification" requirements for refugee resettlement in the United States for Syrian and Iraqi refugees. The requirements will include: biometric data (fingerprint, photograph, retinal scan), a DNA sample and a polygraph.

"A polygraph will be essential in determining whether a refugee is truly coming to the United States to escape oppression or if they are coming here with possibly violent intentions," said Rep. Calvert. "It is also necessary since for many refugees we only have their word to rely on as to who they are, where they are from and why they are coming here. There are no corresponding government databases to verify their claims nor is there the ability to conduct a sufficient background check due to the conflicts in the region and displacement of entire communities."

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