Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) voted today in favor of H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act. The legislation immediately suspends President Obama’s plan to resettle Syrian refugees in the United States, and requires enhanced, comprehensive security checks and certifications before additional refugees from Iraq and Syria may be allowed to enter the country.
“My first and most important responsibility as a Member of Congress is to keep the American people safe,” said Congressman Barr. “The Obama Administration’s own Secretary of Homeland Security and FBI Director have acknowledged that the U.S. government does not currently have the resources or adequate information to fully vet refugees from Syria. This corroborates what I learned from U.S. Embassy personnel in Amman, Jordan when I was in the Middle East last month. Given these security gaps, it is entirely appropriate and essential to our national security to pause the resettlement program until the nation’s top security officials certify that the screening process meets the highest standards and that each individual refugee is not a security threat.”