Success needs to be defined. but I would suggest defining success as the neutralization of all direct threats ISIS poses to America and our national security. We need to clarify the U.S. strategy in Syria now. and I hope to work with the administration and with other Members of Congress toward getting us on the right path. Well before this Syrian refugee issue became a hotbutton issue. I joined together with Members on the other side of the aisle in bipartisan efforts to reach out to the Department of Defense. to reach out to the administration in order to express these very concerns. Mr. Speaker. lets be clear. It is our failed policy in Syria that has created this predicament of refugees. If we had a clear strategya definitive strategyif we had clear objectives. if we were aggressive in achieving those objectives. of eliminating and of neutralizing ISIS. of creating a new government structure there to fill the void created by our removing and helping to remove with the international community the Assad regime. we wouldnt have refugees. We would have stability in Syria. We would have a place for people to live. and there would not be this refugee situation where tens of thousands of folks are being displaced into the United States and other areas. where we have this threat to our national security and the inability to vet these refugees before they come into the United States. Mr. Speaker. as reports have indicated in recent daysand I want to be clear that this isnt from any classified setting. This is a place where you. apparently. get real informationthe Drudge Report. There are reports right now of folks with fake Syrian passports who are being questioned in Honduras and in Costa Rica. There are reports of Afghan and Iraqi refugees from years ago in Kentucky and in other areas who have been involved in efforts to attack the United States. I will say that again. There are refugees from other countriesfrom Middle Eastern nations of Iraq and elsewherewho were previously brought to the United States and who had. apparently. not gone through a sufficient vetting process who were caught trying to attack the United States. according to reports that are out there now. There are reports of folks from the Middle East who are trying to illegally cross over and come into Arizona and Texas. Mr. Speaker. this is clearly a systemic failurethe inability to place refugees. to secure our borders. to secure our Nation. This isnt a partisan issue. We should not be sacrificing the security of Americans. There are ways in which we can be good community citizens. good world leaders. and allow for refugees to come here or. better yet. to stabilize. to help work with the international community to stabilize their own countries. Mr. Speaker. I want to continue to work with other Members of Congress. including with our Louisiana delegation. Just this week. Senator VITTER introduced legislation to address the refugee problem to ensure that we are not threatening Americans security. to ensure that we are not sacrificing the safety and security of Americans in exchange for those from Syria. Together. with Congressman BOUSTANY. Congressman ABRAHAM. and Congressman FLEMING. we introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives to ensure that that happens.
Keywords matched
refugees refugee