[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 20, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S100-S101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICAN SAFE ACT
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, our country has a proud record of
admitting the oppressed as refugees to our shores, yet the debate about
how to safely admit refugees from Syria and Iraq is a serious
conversation that deserves a serious response from Washington. It is
difficult to effectively vet immigrants from a war-torn country where
records may sometimes no longer exist at all. Senior law enforcement
and intelligence officials have expressed concerns and DHS Secretary
Jeh Johnson has said organizations such as ISIL may like to try to
exploit
[[Page S101]]
the refugee program. So is it any wonder that the citizens we represent
are concerned?
According to one recent survey, nearly 80 percent of Americans and 77
percent of Democrats say refugees should go through a more robust
security process. President Obama seemed to suggest these Americans
were motivated by some animus toward widows and orphans. I would
suggest they are motivated by a love for their families and
communities. I remind the President that this country has a proud
tradition of compassion, and we have settled millions of refugees from
around the world. Many Americans are telling us they want to continue
helping others, but they want to do it in a smarter and more secure
way.
So I want to say this before moving forward. In his State of the
Union Address, President Obama decried the political divisions that
have widened during his Presidency. He called for cooperation and a
more elevated debate. He warned that ``democracy breaks down when the
average person feels their voice doesn't matter.''
``Democracy,'' he said, ``doesn't work if we think the people who
disagree with us are all motivated by malice.''
I ask him to reflect on those words. We each have a choice in this
discussion. We can glibly dismiss the sincere concerns of middle-class
families or we can work to unify Americans by pursuing bipartisan and
balanced solutions.
Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives chose
bipartisan and balanced solutions when they worked together to pass the
American SAFE Act a few weeks ago. Democrats and Republicans in the
Senate should choose bipartisan and balanced solutions by working
together to advance the American SAFE Act today.
This bipartisan bill would allow Washington to step back, take a
breath, and ensure it has correct policies and security screenings in
place before moving ahead with the refugee program for Iraq and Syria.
No wonder dozens of Democrats joined with Republicans to pass this
balanced bill with a veto-proof majority over in the House. It is
certainly worrying to hear that Senate Democrats are now being
pressured to block us from even debating it. I understand the political
pressure to oppose this balanced bill may be intense, but it is also
intensely shortsighted, and I urge our Democratic friends to resist it.
Boosting confidence in our Nation's vetting process is critical for
our citizens, just as it is critical for every refugee who truly needs
our help. Our Democratic friends know a cloud of unfair stigmatization
threatens to hang over legitimate refugees so long as Democrats block
commonsense safeguards to weed out ISIL sympathizers.
If our Democratic friends are serious in what they imply about
promoting tolerance for widows and orphans and in strengthening
security for Americans, they will not vote to block the Senate from
debating balanced, bipartisan legislation that can advance both
priorities simultaneously.
Let's work together to enact the American SAFE Act and its reforms,
and then let's work together on the root of the problem. Refugees are
fleeing Syria because of a brutal civil war, and they are fleeing Iraq
because the terrorist group Al Qaeda in Iraq has evolved into the
largest terrorist group in history--ISIL--so the ultimate solution is
to make the region somewhere they can return to.
Here is what hasn't helped: The precipitous withdrawal of our advise
and assist force from Iraq, the indecision attached to drawing and
erasing red lines in Syria, mocking the genuine concerns of American
citizens here at home.
Here is what will help: the administration cooperating across the
aisle to finally develop a serious plan to confront ISIL. That is what
the American people continue to call for, that is what the American
people deserve, and it is what the administration will pursue if it is
truly serious about helping both our country and the victims escaping
this brutal terrorist group.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Democratic leader.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I think we have the makings of an agreement
here, at least the way I understood the Republican leader.
We agree that refugees should go through a robust screening process.
The bill we are talking about before the Senate, though, is stressing
bureaucracy and paperwork. Each refugee who comes to this country--and
there are about 100 a day--would have to be signed off by three Cabinet
Secretaries. That is 300 personal signatures a day. We don't want more
paperwork.
What we have said is we want four amendments to change the underlying
bill. We are not going to be demanding days of debate time. We would be
happy--we would be very reasonable with whatever the leader felt
appropriate. We believe we should move forward with real solutions, not
paperwork.
We are not saying we don't want to get on the bill. We are willing to
get on the bill. We want four amendments. That is it, four amendments.
I am sure the leader will look this over and get back to me at the
appropriate time, but we are willing to work on this bill.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I will obviously be talking to the
Democratic leader on a way forward on the bill, and we will have those
discussions and report back later.
Mr. REID. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
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