As we reported earlier, the Senate and House Judiciary Committees have a responsibility under the Refugee Act of 1980 to “consult” with the Administration on the size and scope of the refugee program for the upcoming fiscal year which begins on October first.
Obviously Senator Grassley isn’t letting the Administration get away with the vague information they have been giving out on exactly how many Syrian refugees Obama plans to admit to the US.
And, by the way, we wouldn’t have security concerns if we were saving the Christians. We have reported repeatedly that the vast majority, 95% entering the US so far are Sunni Muslims. The number jumps to 97% when you consider only those who came this year.
Here is Grassley’s press release from Friday thanks to Chris:
Grassley Seeks Details on Administration’s Refugee Announcements
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley today pressed Secretary of State John Kerry to clarify the administration’s plans to increase the number of refugees allowed into the United States in fiscal 2016, including up to 10,000 additional refugees from the war torn country of Syria. Grassley raised questions about the administration’s plans to admit additional refugees and whether adequate safeguards and background checks are in place to handle the influx.
While the administration proposed raising the refugee ceiling from 70,000 to 75,000, Assistant Secretary of State Anne Richard admitted that administration officials are considering increasing the cap later in 2016. White House Spokesman Josh Earnest also said that the administration is considering allowing 10,000 refugees from Syria in 2016, an increase from earlier estimates.
In a letter to Kerry, Grassley asked how the administration will screen Syrian refugees to ensure they were not involved with terrorist organizations, whether the influx of refugees will strain the vetting process, and how the administration plans to respond in the event that refugees are determined to be involved in terrorist organizations after they have been admitted to the United States. Further, Grassley asked Kerry to explain what the administration is doing to assess the willingness of other countries to admit Syrian refugees.
The letter follows a consultation earlier this week between Kerry and leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees to discuss the proposed annual number of refugees to be admitted to the United States. The State Department must consult with these congressional committees regarding the refugee cap each year as well as any time an increase in allowable refugees is proposed.
Following the consultation, Grassley emphasized that America’s security must remain a top priority when admitting refugees, especially when violent terrorist groups like ISIS are committed to finding ways to enter the United States and harm Americans.
Full text of Grassley’s letter to Kerry follows (click here).
September 11, 2015
Senator Grassley needs to call for a hearing required by the Refugee Act and put Secretary of State Kerry and Asst. Secretary Richard on the hot seat!