In the News

(Connolly testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the need for America to remain a welcoming nation, live up to our American values, and resist divisive, hateful rhetoric.)

It is a false choice to say that we can either accept Syrian refugees or we can be safe from terrorism. We can and must do both. We are the United States of America. We have the resources, expertise, and moral tradition to do much more than what we are currently doing. In the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Paris and Beirut, the American public is, understandably, shaken and demands reassurance that our refugee program is based on a robust and stringent vetting process.   

That doesn’t mean, however, that we can turn our backs on refugees who need American assistance. Today, there are currently more refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced persons – nearly 60 million – than at any time since World War II. The President has announced plans to increase the refugee quota for 2016 and accept 10,000 Syrian refugees. While I am supportive of that effort, the magnitude of this crisis demands America do more.

To date, the number of Syrian refugees that the United States has resettled since the start of the Syrian Civil War is approximately 2,000. That is clearly insufficient in light of the current crisis. In September, I sent a letter to the President urging the Administration to do more and resettle a minimum of 100,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016. To meet this moral imperative, however, Congress must be an active partner.

I heard directly from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough that their primary concern with the SAFE Act, which was recently considered before the House, was that they would need additional resources for implementation.  It is unquestionable that the current process, which takes between 18-24 months, takes too long. I have been, and will continue to be, an advocate for making this process more humane, while still maintaining safeguards the American public expects. In the coming weeks, I will work to ensure Congress provides the additional resources needed to reduce the time it takes to thoroughly vet refugee applications. I will not accept bureaucracy and lack of resources as a reason to turn our backs on refugees.

To be clear the SAFE Act is not a moratorium or a pause on the refugee program. It does not harm the vetting process we have in place. It does not demagogue a particular group of people or promote one religious belief over another, as some prominent Republicans have demanded. If such language had been included, I would have opposed it. Rather it simply adds another layer of certification to an already robust vetting process.

We need to never take for granted what it is to be American and all that we have.  The United States has a long history of helping the world’s most vulnerable people. Now Congress must do its part and provide the resources needed to live up to our noble ideals.