Washington - Today, the House passed the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act of 2015 (H.R. 4038). As Heritage Action noted previously, the bill sets up a more stringent vetting system for Syrian refugees but it relies solely on President Obama's appointees to carry out the new vetting process. It provides no leverage for Congress to weigh in or affirm the implementation of the process. Heritage Action released the following statement from chief executive officer Michael A. Needham:
"The SAFE Act cannot be the conclusion of congressional action. With our national security at risk, lawmakers must be empowered to vet the vetting process before it moves forward. Unfortunately, there is no indication the Obama administration is willing to engage in constructive negotiations with Congress. Lawmakers should deny funding to this program until there is a real plan to mitigate the serious national security risks posed by Obama administration's current resettlement plans."