releases: http://nolan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/nolan-statement-on-the-american-safe-act
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| http://nolan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/nolan-statement-on-the-american-safe-act | Nolan Statement on the American SAFE Act | 2015-11-19 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | MN | Rick Nolan | N000127 | nolan.house.gov | legacy | U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan today released the following statement regarding his vote in favor of H.R. 4038, the bipartisan American SAFE Act of 2015: Today I voted in favor of H.R. 4038, the bipartisan American SAFE Act of 2015, because we must leave no stone unturned to keep the American people safe and protect our borders from ISIS-trained terrorists. The recent terrorist attacks in Paris have Americans understandably concerned. To be sure, we must be strong and unwavering in defending our country and protecting our people from the threat of terrorism. To that extent, we must constantly be examining our intelligence-gathering capabilities and making improvements wherever necessary. Everyone who enters the United States from another nation must be carefully screened, regardless of the time or the inconvenience involved. That said, it is important to remember that we have a long and proud history of taking in refugees from all around the globe. Legal immigration is a core founding value of our great nation. No terrorists hate can overcome the strength of our values. After all, these refugees are fleeing to escape regions where they are entrapped by the very same violence that tragically reached the streets of Paris and other cities around the world. After carefully examining this legislation and the debate around it, its clear that this legislation will not preclude the United States from accepting thoroughly-vetted refugees into the country. Refugees coming into the United States are more heavily screened and vetted than any other group. Out of 23,000 Syrian applicants, only 7,000 have been accepted for an interview by the Department of Homeland Security since 2011, and only 2,000 of them have been admitted. No Syrian refugee that has resettled in the United States has been arrested or removed on terrorism charges. Refugees must undergo extremely thorough background checks, interviews, fingerprints, and other intensive security protocols prior to even stepping foot in the United States. This process takes an average of a year and a half to two years before a refugee can actually arrive in America. The Department of Homeland Security works in concert with the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the National Counterterrorism Center and the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center for the screening and vetting of refugees. Todays legislation is simple and does not significantly change our current process, but rather, just requires the three Secretaries of these Departments to now certify this process. In Europe, refugees are simply fingerprinted upon arrival and sent on their way without these scrupulous checks. It is impossible to compare refugees arriving in Europe with refugees arriving in the United States. We must remain both vigilant and compassionate. As Pope Francis said to Congress, we must respond to the ongoing refugee crisis "in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |