http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/260699-senate-dems-push-refugee-alternative By Alexander Bolton - 11/18/15 07:04 PM EST
Senate Democrats are pushing a legislative alternative to a House Republican bill that would halt the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the United States, giving themselves political cover to oppose it.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Thursday will introduce legislation broadening the debate to visa waivers granted to European citizens traveling to the United States.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), would block waivers for European citizens who spent time in Syria or Iraq in the past five years.
“Let’s say France has had 2000 people leave to go and fight [in Syria.] They’re a visa waiver country so the people come back to France and then they come into the United States. The bill we would propose would strictly limit that,” she said after attending a classified briefing with senior administration officials Wednesday evening.
She added the legislation would tighten the fingerprinting requirements for visitors who qualify for visa waivers.
“Currently, in most cases, the fingerprints are checked after they arrive in the United States. They should be done before,” said Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.).
While Republicans have focused on the 10,000 refugees from Syria whom President Obama wants to resettle domestically, Democrats argue they are already subject to rigorous vetting.
They say visa waivers pose a greater security threat, noting several of the Paris attackers were French or Belgian citizens.
House Republicans plan to vote Thursday on legislation narrowly focused on Syrian refugees. It would require the Homeland Security secretary to certify to Congress that refugees admitted to the country do not pose a security threat.
Senate Republicans on Thursday acknowledged the scope of that bill may have to be enlarged.
“The visa waiver program potentially is the place where there's greater gaps possibly than the refugee program itself,” said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
