Boustany bills aim to curb refugee influx

U.S. Rep. Charles W. Boustany, R-Lafayette, announced he will take a series of actions to limit the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the United States in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris last week.
Boustany has cosponsored three bills to address the threat:
—H.R. 3573, the Refugee Resettlement Oversight and Security Act, which takes authority from the President to make decisions on the number of refugees admitted annually, and grants that power to Congress.
—The American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act, requiring the director of the FBI to certify thorough background checks have been administered for every refugee entering the United States from these countries, and requires that the Security of Homeland Security, the director of the FBI, and the attorney general must affirm every refugee being admitted is not a security threat.
—H.R. 3314, the Resettlement Accountability National Security Act, freezes the admission of Syrian refugees into the United States until Congress passes a joint resolution allowing the Department of Homeland Security to resume admitting refugees.
Boustany will also sign two letters on the issue:
—Boustany will sign a letter to Speaker Ryan, Majority Leader McCarthy, and Appropriations Committee Chairman Rogers to include language in the upcoming FY2016 appropriations legislation to restore congressional oversight and authority over the refugee program.
—Boustany signed a letter to President Barack Obama today urging the President to immediately halt admissions of refugees from Syria and Iraq until the Administration creates a thorough vetting process.
Boustany said: “President Obama has not demonstrated that he has a thorough and fail-proof system of background checks to prevent terrorists from reaching our shores through the refugee program. Until then, I will advocate shutting down the admission of refugees from this region until we can look the American people in the eye and promise them they will be safe.”