Congresswoman Brown Opposes Republican Bill to Restrict Syrian Refugees

Statement

Congresswoman Brown made the following statement:

"I voted today in strong opposition to H.R. 4038, a bill which purports to improve the way in which refugees from Iraq and Syria are screened for admission to the United States. This bill rests on the faulty assumption that the European refugee screening process is similar to the United States screening process, which is entirely inaccurate. In contrast to European nations, the United States screens all refugees for 18-24 months before they even set foot on U.S. soil. The United States does not wait for refugees to arrive before screening; we do all of our extensive vetting prior to entry, thereby preventing any bad actors from gaining entry into the United States. If a refugee is not able to prove identity, or raises any security flags, she is not granted admission to the United States.

In addition, the Republican bill would entirely shut down the refugee process by imposing unworkable certification requirements on the refugee vetting process. This bill is nothing more than a political, kneejerk reaction to a situation in Europe that is entirely dissimilar to our refugee admissions process.

Since October 2013, only about 2,100 Syrian refugees have been admitted to the United States; and 98 to the state of Florida. The U.S. government thoroughly screens refugees before they are admitted to the U.S., using an intense, deliberate process. Several federal agencies, including the State Department, Homeland Security, Defense Department, National Counterterrorism Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are involved. And before approval, all applicants from Syria, just like refugees from any nation worldwide seeking refuge in the U.S., are subjected to this rigorous scrutiny and an intensive screening process that takes, on average, between 18 and 24 months. As a nation, the United States is able to welcome desperate, vulnerable families while at the same time ensuring our own security. As Americans, we should not simply turn our backs on refugees fleeing the same senseless violence we witnessed in Paris. Indeed, preserving the safety of Florida's residents and providing refuge for Syrians fleeing horrific violence are not mutually exclusive actions."

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