The "American SAFE Act of 2015" also drew support from Democrats, dividing the president's own party as lawmakers reflected the anxiety of voters back home.
Republican congressmen representing much of the Lehigh Valley and Warren and Hunterdon counties supported a bill passed overwhelmingly Thursday to erect high hurdles for Syrian and Iraqi refugees coming to American shores.
HR4038, known as the "American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act of 2015," also drew support from Democrats, dividing the president's own party as lawmakers reflected the anxiety of voters back home.
The vote was 289-137, enough to override a threatened White House veto of the legislation, which was hurriedly drafted in response to the carnage in the streets of Paris. Forty-seven Democrats voted for the bill, despite President Barack Obama's biting criticism of its proposed limits.
The bill would require new FBI background checks and individual sign-offs from three high-ranking U.S. officials -- secretary of the Homeland Security, FBI director and director of National Intelligence -- before any refugee could come to the U.S. from Iraq or Syria, where the Islamic State group that has claimed credit for the attacks has flourished.
Republicans said it was simply prudent to place new controls on the refugee system, without ending it entirely or requiring religious tests as some in the GOP, including presidential candidates, have demanded.
"This is an urgent matter and that is why we're dealing with this urgently," declared new House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. "It just is common sense that we pause, re-evaluate and make sure that we have the proper standards in place to make sure something like what happened in Paris doesn't happen here."
U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Democrat whose 17th Congressional District covers parts of Northampton County including the Easton and Nazareth areas, voted against the measure. He did not immediately issue a statement explaining his position.
Supporting the resolution locally were Republican U.S. Reps. Charlie Dent, a Republican whose 15th District covers Lehigh and parts of Northampton County; Leonard Lance, whose 7th District covers Hunterdon and southern Warren counties; and Scott Garrett, whose 5th District also covers Warren County.
Here's what the region's Republicans had to say about the measure:
Dent:
"Recent attacks and intelligence threat assessments have given merit to pausing America's acceptance of refugees from Syria and Iraq until a prompt review of the vetting process is completed by the appropriate federal agencies. We are a country with a huge heart and a long history of opening our arms to provide shelter and aid to at-risk and displaced individuals from around the world. Helping others is our passion, but there are times when passions need to be constrained by prudence. The tragic attacks on our oldest ally and great friend, the France, have made this such a time.
"James Comey, the director of the FBI, testified to Congress in October about major flaws in our current vetting system. If a refugee is not able to be sufficiently vetted to the point that Congress can receive assurances of no risk to the American people, then that person does not belong in our country. The House passed the SAFE Act today by a strong bipartisan vote. I strongly urge the Senate to take up this legislation and pass it expeditiously, and beseech President Obama to heed the bipartisan message sent today by presenting a comprehensive political and military strategy to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS)."
Lance:
"The first responsibility of the federal government is to secure the homeland and keep the American people safe. And with the recent horrific terrorist attacks in Paris and growing threats against American cities like New York and Washington, D.C., it is now more critical than ever that the United States Congress act immediately to suspend the President's refugee resettlement program until an effective vetting and monitoring process is in place that ensures the safety of the American people.
"The threat of ISIS is not contained as the president has suggested. It is not going away. So until there is a certification process in place to prevent terrorist threats in America, the Syrian and Iraqi resettlement program should be paused."
Garrett:
"My top priority is the safety and security of the American people, and last week's horrific attacks on Paris are a stark reminder that our enemies are willing to impersonate refugees and go to great lengths to commit acts of terror. Today the House voted to pause our refugee program until we can fully examine our vetting process to ensure that every refugee admitted to the United States does not pose a threat to our nation.
"The Syrian people seeking refuge need the continued support of the international community, and we must continue to work on a balance between helping these people and our national security. The United States is, and will continue to be, a world leader in humanitarian aid operations, and those who are suffering from unspeakable horrors at the hands of oppressors will always have our support while we work diligently to advance policies that protect our country."
The strong vote in the House could improve prospects for the bill in the Senate. John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said he would like to see the chamber take up the House legislation as-is, but that is uncertain.
Senate Democrats are trying to shift the focus to other issues regarding travelers from overseas, and Minority Leader Harry Reid predicted Thursday's bill would not be approved.
"Don't worry, it won't get passed. OK? So, next question," he said.
Wolf defends accepting Syrian refugees, screening process
Traveling in Asia this week, Obama mocked Congress and Republicans for yielding to "hysteria" and taking aim at "widows and orphans." The White House threatened a presidential veto, contending the legislation would bring to an end an already highly regulated refugee program while doing nothing to enhance national security. And some Democrats complained that the measure would mar America's image as a welcoming haven for immigrants.
"We might as well take down the Statue of Liberty," Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York asserted in debate on the House floor.
Yet some Democrats chafed at the White House position. Dozens joined Republicans in supporting the legislation, some fretting openly of being put in the politically untenable position of opposing what they considered a reasonable anti-terror bill in the wake of a horrendous tragedy.
Freshman Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb., who faces a tough re-election fight next year, called the Paris attacks "a game changer" and supported the bill, saying, "I cannot sit back and ignore the concerns of my constituents and the American public."
Migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan cross the border Nov. 19, 2015, between Serbia and Macedonia near the village of Miratovac, traveling on foot from Macedonia to south Serbian city of Presevo in Serbia. (AP | For lehighvalleylive.com)
The White House dispatched Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to Capitol Hill to meet with Democrats, but several lawmakers said their arguments were unconvincing.
Sean Patrick Maloney of New York got in a forceful exchange with Johnson inside the private meeting, telling him Democrats could lose seats over the vote, according to aides in attendance. Maloney ended up voting with Republicans in support of the legislation.
The administration, which has announced plans to accept about 10,000 Syrian refugees in addition to the 2,500 who have settled here since 2011, says it already takes around 18-24 months on average for them to make it into this country. They must pass a battery of screening requirements including interviews overseas, fingerprinting and biometric investigations. Many are women and children and only about 2 percent are single men of combat age.
The House bill would increase the FBI's role by charging it with conducting a "thorough background investigation" on each refugee. The Homeland Security secretary would subsequently have to certify, with the concurrence of the FBI director and the director of national intelligence, that the refugee posed no security concerns. Under the current system the Homeland Security secretary has the final say, though multiple other agencies are involved.
Syrian refugees in Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania raise concerns
On his way out of the meeting with Democrats Thursday, Johnson said the House measure was "a bad bill because it seeks to micromanage the process in a way that is counterproductive to national security, to our humanitarian obligations and to the overall ability of us to focus on homeland security."
Defenders of the bill, including some Democrats, described the changes as fairly modest, especially in light of rhetoric coming from some Republican presidential contenders such as Donald Trump suggesting keeping out all refugees. Still, advocacy groups warned refugees could be left to languish while the new changes are put into place, and the Catholic bishops and others announced their opposition.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. should welcome refugees from the region and bolster America's defenses and intelligence operations.
Kurt Bresswein contributed to this report. He may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
