And both of our US Senators from Georgia and all of our Congressmen except one voted to allow this to happen. They are DOA in the next election.
Dear Diana,
Thank you for your recent email. The November 13 terror attacks in Paris that took the lives of 130 people were unspeakable, senseless tragedies. I appreciate hearing from you on such an important topic.
As we continue to keep the people of Paris in our thoughts and prayers, our national conversation has turned to domestic security and the acceptance of refugees.
Many Oregonians have contacted me to share their views on the U.S.'s policy of accepting refugees and I appreciate knowing the diverse perspectives of our state. As a senator, national security is one of my primary concerns. I believe that we can continue helping refugees of foreign conflicts, including those fleeing violence in Syria, while strongly protecting national security.
The U.S. has long maintained a strict screening process for refugees entering our country. In order for an individual to come to the U.S. as a refugee, he or she must first be proven to be facing persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership to a certain social group.
Then, the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security conduct frequent and in-depth security checks to ensure an individual does not pose a security risk and that their stories hold up under scrutiny. Only after this extensive process is completed, which usually takes 18 to 24 months, will an individual be allowed to enter the U.S. as a refugee.
Since 2011, over 2,000 Syrian refugees have been admitted to the U.S. and zero have been arrested or removed on terrorism charges. If you would like more information about the screening process for Syrian refugees, a helpful graphic can be found here.
As Paris reminds us, yet again, we must be vigilant against the threat of terrorists infiltrating our country. A careful review of the various avenues for entering our country is warranted to ensure that our screening is effective. But we should not allow our fear to drive us to turn our backs on people fleeing oppression; after all, that is exactly what the terrorists want.
Please know that I will continue to support measures that both protect Americans' security and allow the U.S. to continue thoroughly vetting refugees before allowing them inside our borders.
Thank you, again, for sharing your thoughts with me. I hope you will continue to reach out to me about the issues that are most important to you.
All my best, Jeffrey A. Merkley United States Senator
I think many Southerners in Congress were just window dressing, it is really the Rockefeller boys that run the Republican Party. We need an independent group, I think Trump will bring on many new people who have not sold their souls to the establishment.