[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 171 (Thursday, November 19, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H8366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE REPUBLICAN SYRIAN REFUGEE BILL

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
express my concern and opposition to the Republican Syrian refugee 
bill.
  This restrictive and misguided legislation would immediately shut 
down the current refugee resettlement and cripple our refugee programs 
for the future.
  I represent Orange County, California, one of the historically known 
areas of resettling refugees from all around the world. We are ready. 
We are ready.
  Once this administration has taken a look at the backgrounds, has 
done the extensive research that they do with respect to somebody's 
background, we are ready to help resettle these refugees.
  Refusing to resettle any Syrian refugees would inadvertently empower 
Daesh and boost their recruitment abilities among vulnerable 
populations struggling to survive. We cannot let Daesh push us to 
succumb to fear and to prejudice.
  These Syrian refugees are fleeing the same violence that we have seen 
in Paris and Beirut and Baghdad this last week. Three-quarters of them 
are women and children. A quarter of them are over 60 years of age. 
Refugees are not the enemy.
  So remember the words on our Statue of Liberty: ``Give me your tired, 
your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.''

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