U.S. Rep. Smith asks Nixon to Block Syrian refugees

News Article

By Daily Journal Online
Congressman Jason Smith, R-8th District, along with five other members of the Missouri Congressional delegation, sent a letter Tuesday to Gov. Jay Nixon urging him to halt plans to bring Syrian refugees to Missouri.

"It's clear with the recent tragic events that refugee screening has been insufficient," said Smith. "We need to take a step back and do what is necessary to keep America and Missouri safe."

The letter highlights the report that "at least one of the terrorists had a Syrian passport and entered Europe with the waves of migrants fleeing the Syria Civil War, we believe that the president's plan to increase the number of Syrian refugees admitted to the United States poses a genuine threat to the American people."

Smith has taken additional action to halt Syrian refugees by sponsoring H.R. 3999 -- the American SAFE Act. The act requires the Department of Homeland Security to verify that refugees prove that they are not a threat to national security before they can settle in the U.S.

The congressman also sent a letter to President Obama urging him to immediately halt admissions of refugees from Syria and Iraq onto American soil, demanding that his administration notify Congress first of all policy changes, as well as provide all information used to justify admission for each refugee to the House and Senate Intelligence, Judiciary, and Homeland Security committees to satisfy their concerns.

Source