[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 172 (Monday, November 30, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         AMERICAN SECURITY AGAINST FOREIGN ENEMIES ACT OF 2015

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 19, 2015

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong solidarity with our 
brothers and sisters in France. I join them in their grief over the 
tragic events of November 13, I keep them in my thoughts and prayers, 
and I hope that their healing will soon begin.
  In the wake of the heinous attacks in Paris and across the world, I 
stand here today in strong opposition to H.R. 4038, the so-called 
American SAFE Act. As the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security 
Appropriations Subcommittee, my top priority is to keep the American 
people safe. Toward that end, our nation's current review system for 
refugees is extensive and rigorous. Refugees are required to wait 
overseas for at least 18 to 24 months before they can be admitted into 
our country, and they enter only if they meet all vetting requirements. 
The current process checks biographical and biometric data against law 
enforcement and intelligence databases, and there is no waiver for any 
part of the process.
  H.R. 4038 seeks to exploit the understandable fear that some 
Americans feel by effectively shutting down the refugee resettlement 
program for Syrian and Iraqi nationals, possibly for years, until a new 
vetting process is established. The passage of this bill will 
effectively close our doors to people seeking refuge from barbaric 
attacks like those that were committed in Paris.
  I support looking for ways to strengthen the screening process our 
nation currently has in place. However, strengthening our refugee 
screening process does not mean we must turn our back on some of the 
globe's most vulnerable people, especially women and children. That 
would go against our American values and weaken our standing among our 
allies. This includes France, which, in spite of the horrors it 
experienced in Paris, has pledged to take in 30,000 refugees.
  The United States has been built by people of many nations, races, 
and faiths, who fled hunger and persecution in search of a better life 
in America. We have a long history of welcoming the tired, the poor, 
and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. For centuries, America 
has been a beacon of light and hope for those in need. Let us not dim 
that light in the face of fear. Let us not block the refuge that our 
nation can provide to the men, women, and children who suffer at the 
hands of extremist regimes. Let us embrace the maxim that our French 
brothers and sisters have shared with the world, one that exemplifies 
three universal values of humanity: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.
  I urge all Members to oppose this bill.

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