Kilmer Statement on House Refugee Bill
Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) released the following statement after the House voted on a Syrian refugee bill.
“We must do everything in our power to keep Americans safe. The attack on innocent people in France going about their daily lives confirms that ISIL is a clear and direct threat. Whether it’s committing genocide against religious minorities, murdering civilians, or destabilizing the Middle East, it’s clear that ISIL wants to harm the United States and our allies.”
“To remain vigilant we need to focus on ISIL and its networks – protecting our homeland while dismantling and destroying their forces abroad. The destruction and terror in the Middle East has caused the displacement of millions. Women and children have been forced to flee to Europe or to live in refugee camps where they can apply to be resettled into the United States or another country.”
“The process for evaluating and processing refugees seeking shelter is rigorous and thorough. Each successful applicant spends more than 18-24 months being vetted by federal law enforcement, military, and intelligence agencies. The careful vetting includes biometric and biographic checks, interviews by specially trained Department of Homeland Security Officers, and enhanced screening measures for Syrian refugees. Since the attacks on 9/11, we have accepted more than 750,000 refugees from places like Iraq and Afghanistan, and not a single one of them has committed an act of terrorism in the United States.
To date, more than 4 million refugees have fled Syria. Of the 23,000 who have been referred to the US for resettlement, only 2,000 have been approved for relocation to our shores. The vast majority are women, children, and seniors. Only 2 percent are military-aged men with no family.”
“The supporters of the bill we voted on today call it a pause, but the reality is that it would make it even harder for desperate women and children to find safety. What’s worse, it would divert law enforcement and intelligence assets away from those who pose the greatest threat to our security, and instead require investigations of people we know pose no risk. That concern was echoed by the Homeland Security Secretary as well as the former Adjutant General of the Washington State National Guard.
There have been moments in our history where we have let fear stand in the way of what makes our nation great. Whether it was denying entry to Jews fleeing Nazism in Europe, or the internment of Japanese Americans, those moments are correctly judged as shameful exceptions to our values.
While the attacks in Paris are terrible and it’s critical to keep all Americans safe and secure, it is also important in times like these to remember our values and to continue to serve as a beacon of freedom for the world.”
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