WASHINGTON — As Republican leaders in Congress prepare to block Syrian refugees from the United States, one lawmaker proposed requiring three national security chiefs to certify personally that each refugee admitted from Iraq or Syria is not a threat.
The Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, Michael McCaul, said his bill would strengthen security measures for all refugee populations seeking to enter the United States.
Democratic Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the first Muslim elected to Congress, said that would send the wrong message to Islamic State, also known as Daesh.
“I think to put our program on pause might signal to Daesh that they’re having an effect on what we do,” Ellison told CNN. “Do you really want Daesh to dictate terms to the United States?”
