House votes to curb Syrian refugees, snubs Obama veto threat

WASHINGTON - In a rebuke to President Obama by Republicans and Democrats, the House ignored a veto threat Thursday and overwhelmingly approved GOP legislation erecting fresh hurdles for Syrian and Iraqi refugees trying to enter the United States.

The measure, which in effect would suspend admissions of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, would require the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct background checks on people coming to the U.S. from those countries. It would oblige the heads of the FBI and Homeland Security Department and the director of national intelligence to certify to Congress that each refugee "is not a threat to the security of the United States."

This would be in addition to current screening procedures. The existing process typically takes 18 to 24 months and includes interviews, fingerprinting and database crosschecks by several federal agencies. Syrians undergo additional screening involving data from the United Nations Refugee Agency and interviews by Homeland Security Department officials trained to question Syrians.

Forty-seven Democrats joined all but two Republicans as the House passed the measure by a veto-proof 289-137 margin, a major setback to the lame duck president on an issue - the Islamic State group and the refugees fleeing it - that shows no signs of easing. The vote exceeded the two-thirds majority required to override a veto, and came despite a rushed, early morning visit to the Capitol by senior administration officials in a futile attempt to limit Democratic defections.

The bill was sponsored by Republican Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina's 8th Congressional District, which includes Scotland and Robeson counties in the Cape Fear region. In a conference call with reporters on Thursday evening, Hudson said he became concerned a month ago when the director of the FBI said it was difficult to do background checks of Syrian refugees, and he takes seriously threats made by the Islamic State that it will attempt to infiltrate the United States.

"We went to work trying to find a solution, and we're looking for a common-sense solution that doesn't say, 'Stop all refugees.'" Hudson said. "It doesn't say, 'No Syrian refugees.' It simply says, 'How do we ensure on behalf of the American people that we know who we're allowing into our country and we know that they're not a threat.'"

Hudson's fellow Cape Fear region Republicans Renee Ellmers of the 2nd District and David Rouzer of the 7th District voted for the bill.

Democratic Rep. David Price of the 4th District, which runs through Fayetteville, voted against Hudson's bill. Third District Rep. Walter Jones of eastern North Carolina was one of the two Republicans to vote "no."

Thursday's roll call came six days after a burst of bombings and shootings in Paris killed 129 people, wounded many more and revived post-9/11 jitters in the U.S. and Europe. The attacks have turned the question of admitting people fleeing war-torn Syria and Iraq into a high-stakes political issue in both the United States and Europe, and many congressional Democrats were willing to vote against Obama for fear of angering voters nervous about security at home.

Democrats opposing the GOP bill said the U.S. has no business abandoning its age-old values, including being a safe haven for people fleeing countries racked by violence. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks and controls vast swathes of Syria and Iraq, despite a growing military campaign against them by the U.S. and other nations.

"Defeating terrorism should not mean slamming the door in the faces of those fleeing the terrorists. We might as well take down the Statue of Liberty," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.

Republicans said that in dangerous times, the government must first protect its own.

"It is against the values of our nation and the values of a free society to give terrorists the opening they are looking for" by not tightening entry restrictions, said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Hudson said he isn't trying to stop all of Syria's refugees. He said he hopes that the FBI can develop a process to allow some through.

"We are a compassionate nation. We do want to bring folks in who are fleeing from oppression or violence," Hudson said. "Our intent is not to stop the flow of refugees. But if we don't know who they are or can't establish who they are, then ... I'm not willing to let them in."

Before Thursday's House vote, the White House sent chief of staff Denis McDonough and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to the Capitol to try winning over Democrats. Democratic aides said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., had a forceful exchange with Johnson, saying that opposition to the bill would be a terrible vote for Democrats that could cost them seats in next year's elections.

The administration was eager to keep the final tally for the bill below the two-thirds margin required to override a veto. In a sign of the conflicting political undercurrents confronting Democrats, senior House Democrats said they did not push rank-and-file lawmakers to oppose the bill.

On the Senate floor, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who hasn't yet scheduled debate on the issue, said Thursday it is time "to press pause" so policy makers could decide whether adequate vetting procedures are in place, calling it "the most responsible thing for the administration to do."