ICYMI: Hudson Joins Fox News' On the Record to Discuss Syrian Refugee Strategy
November 19, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2015
November 19, 2015
ICYMI: Hudson Joins Fox News’ On the Record to Discuss Syrian Refugee Strategy
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Last night, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) joined Fox News’ “On the Record” with guest host Martha MacCallum to discuss his bill, the American SAFE Act.
Please click here for the clip.
Transcript
Martha: How does that feel for you when you hear the president say that you are basically just afraid of some widows and some orphans and that you have no compassion?
Rep. Hudson: Well, it's disappointing to hear the president politicize this issue like that, but this is a common rhetorical device he uses where he sets up a straw man, some fake person who said some wild statement, and then he contradicts it. But the truth is no one is saying block any religious group. No one is saying block all refugees. All we're saying in the House is let's stop this process because your own FBI director has said we can't do proper background checks on most of these Syrian refugees.
Martha: I think a lot of people listen to this argument and they just think that it's reasonable to sort of tap the brakes a little bit and to take some time on this. What's your sense for how fast the White House wants to move on this and what their reaction is going to be to your bill?
Rep. Hudson: Well, I’m hopeful that the president will come around. We're going to have a vote tomorrow on this legislation. Very common sense legislation - just says let's simply stop the flow of these refugees unless and until the FBI Director can put a background process in place that he is confident of and then the Secretary of Homeland Security can verify that these refugees are not a threat. Pretty straight forward.
The president issuing a veto threat just shows he is out of step with the American people. The American people want to know, you know, especially in light of ISIS coming out and saying they are going to use this refugee crisis to infiltrate America. Well I believe them - so let's make sure we have a process in place to protect the American people.
Martha: The discussion about your religion and why you are seeking some safe haven is part of the process, is it not?
Rep. Hudson: Well, the president is just making this up. No one is saying that we ought to block folks based on their religion or give preference to folks based on their religion. All we’re saying is, let's put a vetting process in place that the experts, you know, this isn't Richard Hudson saying this. This is the FBI director appointed by President Obama saying that the process is broken, we can't properly vet these refugees.
Background
On Monday, Rep. Hudson introduced the American SAFE Act (H.R. 3999) a common sense, reasonable bill that would halt the administration’s plan to take in thousands of refugees from Iraq and Syria until it can assure no terrorists or individuals with radical sympathies or views will be admitted. Rep. Hudson’s strategy, as well as critical requirements from the legislation, was used as the foundation of H.R. 4038, which was introduced by Rep. Hudson and Chairman McCaul and is on the House floor today.
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