Prepared Floor Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
Consideration of the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Tomorrow, the Senate will vote on the motion to proceed to H.R. 4038, also known as the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act.
This bill would prohibit the admission into the United States of refugees from Iraq and Syria, or any other refugee who has been present in those countries in the last five years, unless that person receives a thorough background investigation.
The bill would require the Director of the FBI to certify to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence that each person has received a background investigation that is sufficient to determine whether he or she is a threat to the security of the United States. Then, the Secretary of Homeland Security, with the unanimous concurrence of the Director of the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence, would have to certify to Congress that each refugee is not a security threat.
Finally, it requires the Homeland Security Inspector General to conduct a risk-based review of all certifications for admission of Iraqi or Syrian refugees made by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Director of National Intelligence each year and provide an annual report to Congress.
This bill passed the House overwhelmingly and in a bipartisan manner in November. I intend to vote on the motion to proceed tomorrow. This is a conversation that we need to have in the Senate.
This is not an issue we can take lightly, despite the plea from President Obama in his State of the Union address. We cannot allow America’s welcome mat to be turned into a door mat for radicalized Islamic extremists who are hard-wired to kill innocent people and destroy our way of life.
Unless and until the United States can figure out a foolproof screening process to prevent terrorists from masquerading as refugees to infiltrate our neighborhoods and communities, President Obama needs to listen to the concerns voiced by more than half the nation’s governors, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on both sides of Capitol Hill, and the American people from across the entire country.
After the September 11th attacks, we paused our refugee admission program to reassess its security vetting procedures. So, there’s precedent for suspending the refugee program.
We need to move cautiously in accepting refugees from Iraq and Syria given the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, and elsewhere around the world. We need to fully understand the risks and the schemes that these terrorists are using before we open our doors to 10,000 more Syrians.
Just last week, the French interior minister warned his colleagues about the intent of the Islamic State to use authentic-looking Syrian and Iraqi passports to smuggle its operatives into Europe. There’s no doubt that the group has obtained thousands of blank passports and intends to facilitate travel by counterfeiting these documents.
But, more importantly, we must consider a pause in accepting these refugees until we can be sure that our background checks and investigations are the best they can be.
However, today, there is doubt, even from our leading intelligence officials. We may not be able to stop a Paris-like attack because we cannot tell who, among the thousands of Syrian refugees the administration wishes to resettle here, are terrorists.
The Director of the FBI, James Comey, said “My concern there is there are certain gaps . . . in the data available to us” in screening Syrian refugees. This data, such as fingerprints, background, or biographic information, is crucial for an adequate screening of potential refugees entering the United States. Director Comey also said “There is risk associated with bringing anybody in from the outside, but especially from a conflict zone like that.”
The U.S. has been successful in fighting off many large scale terrorist attacks on our soil. But, it only takes one mistake.
Just this month, the FBI arrested two individuals who reside in the United States and entered the country as refugees, one of whom was arrested for attempting to knowingly and willfully provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant.
A federal agent testified last week that one of the men charged planned to set off bombs at two Houston malls. I asked for the immigration and criminal histories of these individuals to investigate further, and I am still waiting for a response. The concern is real. The threats are real. We cannot jeopardize our national security simply by rolling out our welcome mat to these terrorists.
President Obama’s lack of strategy in Syria has exacerbated this humanitarian catastrophe. Similarly, this administration has no inclination or strategy to create conditions where refugees can one day return home safely.
By housing these refugees, the United States is only aiding in a short-term treatment of the problem, while risking the safety of the American people. We must instead focus on defeating ISIS and alleviating the current humanitarian misery, all while creating a future for Syrian refugees in their homeland.
The number one responsibility of the U.S. federal government is to protect the homeland and to secure the country against all threats. Moving to H.R. 4038 is one step we can take to advance this principle.
I yield the floor.
