Three dozen Congressmen have requested a ban on Middle East Refugees be put in the Continuing Resolution to keep funding the government. They want language in the bill that would “prevent federal funds from being using to admit to the United States refugees from Syria, the Middle East and North Africa” until new procedures are in place. They sent their proposal to Speaker Paul Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers. The letter was sent last week, before the recent terrorists attacks in Minnesota, New York and New Jersey.
From KLFYNews,
This moratorium, they said, would only be lifted once key federal agencies implement procedures that ensure refugee and related programs “are not able to be co-opted by would-be terrorists.” They also demanded that the procedures be provided to Congress in classified and public formats and that the government implement a “longer-term monitoring process” for refugees admitted to the U.S.
Finally, the freeze would only be undone once Congress passes a joint resolution that approves funding to admit refugees from that region again.
They would, however, allow for U.S. funding to cover the safety of refugees overseas, including their food, housing and medical aid.
The Continuing Resolution must be passed by October 1st to avoid a government shutdown. These 37 conservative Congressman want their immigrant freeze proposal in that bill.
One of the 37 is Virginia’s own, Congressman Dave Brat. It was Congressman Brat and Congressman Brian Babin (R-TX) who wrote the letter and got 35 more signatures. See more here.
Of course the President and Democrats in Congress would oppose any freeze on refugees. After the three terrorist attacks this weekend, some Democrats may reconsider their stance.
More on the story here.
