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Cong Ryan Zinke Co-Authored House Bill For Screening Refugees That Was Passed By House
Forwarded From Heather Swift to Capt Joseph R. John, on November 19, 2015
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American SAFE Act of 2015, legislation that an endorsed Combat Veteran For Congress, Congressman Ryan Zinke, Cdr-USN (Ret) (SEAL), helped author with Congressman Richard Hudson (NC) and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (TX). The bill passed 289-137. The American SAFE Act bolsters the refugee screening process to include the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. Cong Zinke originally introduced the legislation on Monday with Hudson and called on House Speaker Paul Ryan to immediately schedule a vote on the bill. After additions to the bill by Chairman McCaul the Speaker Ryan scheduled the vote for passage today, November 19th.
In October, FBI Director James Comey testified before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing that they “do see a risk” in the current vetting process for Syrian refugees entering the United States. During House Homeland Security Committee Hearings the FBI also admittedthat they could not properly vet these individuals, saying "You have to have information to vet,” said FBI Assistant Director Michael Steinbach, who heads the bureau’s counterterrorism division. “Databases don't [have] the information on those individuals, and that's the concern.”
“And, first and foremost our responsibility is to protect American lives,” said Congressman. Zinke. “What I want to ensure is as moms deliver their kids to school, that they’re assured that they’re safe. We need to stop the refugees—and make sure our vetting system is accurate and appropriate. In Iraq and Syria, there is no database. In my experience, you’re looking at a country that doesn’t have indoor plumbing, and yet we think that we have a database where we can determine who is a terrorist, who is a terrorist sympathizer? And who is not and who is an innocent victim? Quite frankly, we don’t have the database because a database doesn’t exist. So I think the right path is make sure we have a vetting process that we can identify the threat. And we need to stop. Provide more transparency. And when we do have refugees, we need to ensure those refugees are not terrorists. So thank you. God Bless America, and God Bless the great state of Montana.”
House Homeland Security Committee Charmin Michael McCaul (TX) said, “I appreciate and respect Representative. Zinke’s hard work in putting together this bill for the House Task Force. His experience and expertise as a Navy SEAL was invaluable as we worked toward this plan to pause the Syrian refugee resettlement program until we can ensure the safety of the American people.”
While the President is threatening to veto this important national security measure, ISIS is planning how to bomb the United States. Yet, when facing security concerns in 2011 the refugee program was put on pause by the State Department after “dozens” of Iraqi bomb makers were allowed to immigrate to the U.S. as refugees.
Two months ago, Rep. Zinke warned of the inherent national security risks the refugee crisis poses to Western nations; however the vote is coming after the terrorist attack on Paris was carried out in part by an ISIS terrorist embedded in the refugee population.