Brent Scowcroft Center Middle East Peace and Security Initiative Program Assistant Owen Daniels writes for The Huffington Post on the responsibility of the United States to support and sccept Syrian refugees into the country:
The US House of Representatives voted last Thursday in favor of a bill suspending Syrian refugee resettlement pending new, stringent screening requirements for US agencies. The bill has gained Congressional support in light of the recent ISIS attack on Paris, and over half of US state governors have vowed to block refugee resettlement in their states. The proposed plan would also halt President Obama’s pledge to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the US. Although Senate Democrats are expected to block passage of the bill, a public debate has developed around whether refugees pose a risk to national security. Lawmakers and the American public should consider the following four points in support of resettlement as they wade through this debate.