SYRIAN REFUGEES; Congressional Record Vol. 161, No. 170

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SYRIAN REFUGEES

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from

Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) for 5 minutes.

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, America has a long tradition of opening

its arms to oppressed people from around the globe. While the human

rights of those fleeing terror and destruction must be respected, it is

vital that we work to ensure that our Nation's safety is in place in

this time of turmoil and unrest.

The United States cannot indefinitely close itself to the stark

realities of the world, nor should we hastily accept tens of thousands

of people without proper screening. That is why I

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have called on Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to suspend efforts to

bring Syrian refugees to Pennsylvania until there are verifiable and

robust mechanisms in place to properly screen all participants for

potential security risks.

To facilitate the thorough screening needed, I am supporting

legislation prompting the Department of Homeland Security, in

coordination with the Director of National Intelligence and the FBI, to

provide new security assurances before admitting refugees into the

country and for the Government Accountability Office to conduct a

sweeping review of security gaps in the current refugee review process.

This measure addresses both shortcomings in our existing programs and

ensures a role for congressional oversight.

Mr. Speaker, the refugee crisis the world faces is a symptom of a

larger problem: militant Islam and the efforts of groups like ISIS to

destabilize and destroy others. We need a long-term solution to this

problem, and that includes defeating ISIS.

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