releases: http://levin.house.gov/press-release/statement-rep-levin-legislation-considered-house-syrian-refugees
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://levin.house.gov/press-release/statement-rep-levin-legislation-considered-house-syrian-refugees | Statement by Rep. Levin on Legislation Considered by the House on Syrian Refugees | 2015-11-19 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | MI | Sander Levin | L000263 | levin.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Levin today made the following statement on legislation considered by the House on Syrian refugees: The entire goal of terrorists in their cowardly acts of violence against innocent and unsuspecting civilians is to cause death, chaos, bring intense fear and intimidate the global community. We were victims of the most horrendous terrorist attacks on 9-11 and we all joined in feelings of renewed horror as we watched the terrorist attacks in Paris. We need to ensure that our response is both strong in purpose and effective. We did that after 9-11. We put in place the most stringent refugee resettlement program in the history of our country. These are the facts: Refugees are referred to the U.S. program after being screened by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees who first determines if resettlement in a third country is the right solution. The current U.S. screening process takes between 18-24 months. It involves multiple Federal intelligence, security, and law enforcement agencies, including the National Counterterrorism Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), State, and Defense, all aimed at ensuring that those admitted do not pose a threat to our country. These safeguards include biometric (fingerprint) to confirm identity, multiple layers of biographical and background checks, and medical screenings. Specifically, each applicants biographical information is checked against the Department of States Consular Lookout and Support System which includes terrorist watchlist information during prescreening. Then, Security Advisory Opinions from the law enforcement and intelligence communities for each applicant is secured. All of this information helps to inform the lengthy in-person interviews. DHS officers scrutinize the applicant's explanation of individual circumstances to assess whether the applicant meets statutory requirements to qualify as a refugee and that he or she does not present security concerns to the United States. If as a result of the security process, U.S. security agencies cannot verify details of a potential refugees story, they are denied. These checks happen before an application is approved and long before a refugee would be able to enter the United States. And these are the facts on the refugees: Refugees by definition are the most vulnerable people in our global society. They are fleeing war, violence and persecution. In Syria refuges are either fleeing the violence brought on by the civil war and the violence of President Assads army or the terror of ISIS operating from there. The emphasis for the U.S. program is to admit the most vulnerable particularly women and children, survivors of violence and torture, and those with severe medical conditions. Since 2011, 2,034 Syrian refugees have been admitted to the United States. A quarter of these refugees are adults over 60. Half are children. Young, single males unattached to families constitute only 2% of the Syrian refugee admissions to date. DHS interviewers receive extensive, Syria-specific training before meeting with refugee applicants. Each Member of Congress takes very seriously our number-one responsibility to protect the homeland. At times of crisis it is crucial that we act in a bi-partisan fashion. Regrettably that was not the process followed by the Republican Majority. They crafted the legislation before us today on their own and with no hearings, no expert testimony, no Committee markup, and no opportunity to offer amendment. As a result, the legislation before us sets a partisan course, and is being used mainly as a vehicle to criticize the Presidents foreign policy. The current screening system has been working. This bill does not improve it and could scramble up what is working. The legislation would require the FBI to have their own additional and undefined separate screening systems even though they currently fully participate in the stringent process led by the Department of Homeland Security. We created DHS after 9-11 to ensure the most effective system that brought all of the resources of the federal government together to combat terrorism. It does not seem wise to unwind that without thorough review and consideration. The threat of terrorism brings to all of us and to communities across our country a sense of insecurity. It is our responsibility in Congress to channel those feelings into effective solutions. The legislation before us fails to do so. This bill would disrupt a screening process that is working and, in so doing, would yield the moral high ground that our country must hold at all costs if we are to defeat ISIS. We can and must both fight terrorism and help the victims who seek to escape it." #### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |