WASHINGTON – (INT) – Congressman Ken Calvert of Corona co-sponsored a bill to halt Syrian and Iraqi refugee programs in the US.

The House passed the measure 289 to 137.

Calvert contends “Americans are sympathetic to innocent civilians who have been forced to flee their war-torn nations but we must take effective measures to ensure all refugees coming here have been screened.”

“Halting the Syrian and Iraqi refugee programs is not a matter of compassion, it’s a matter of competency and confidence in our security screening process,” Calvert said.

San Bernardino County Republican Congressman Paul Cook agreed. “With the attacks in Paris, we’ve seen firsthand the dangers posed by terrorists posing as refugees,” Cook said.

Democrat Mark Takano of Riverside argued “Any pause in our refugee resettlement program calls into question our commitment to defending the innocent. We must choose our values and our compassion over our fear.”

Story Date: November 29, 2015