[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18677]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS

  (Mr. VEASEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, since the passage of the American SAFE Act, 
the constituents that I serve have reached out to me through phone 
calls, email, and social media to voice their concerns.
  I want to be clear that I did not view the SAFE Act as a vote against 
Syrian or Iraqi refugees or the greater refugee community. But it is my 
duty in serving my constituents in Congress to share some of the views 
that they called me about.
  One resident who previously taught Syrian refugees said, ``Support of 
this bill and the accompanying shameful public comments about refugees 
make us less safe and respond from fear, not strength.''
  Messages in support of refugees continue to pour in, stating loud and 
clear that America cannot turn its back on refugees. I want to thank 
the constituents that I serve for their continued feedback.
  Tomorrow, I will be addressing the House once more about this subject 
at length. I don't want to remain silent about this issue because the 
district that I serve has made it very clear that they care very deeply 
about it.

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