In The News

U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Columbia Tusculum represents Ohio’s 2nd District and serves on the House Intelligence and Armed Services Committees.

In 2011, two men in Bowling Green, Kentucky, were filmed packaging weapons – phony stinger missiles and explosives provided by an undercover agent – to send to Al-Qaeda in Iraq. As the FBI investigated, they discovered that one of the men had planted IEDs in Iraq, killing American troops, and both had been detained previously in Iraq.

These men entered the U.S in 2009 through the Iraqi refugee program, passing the vetting process despite fighting against our troops.

Upon this discovery, the Obama Administration paused the Iraqi refugee program for 6 months as the vetting process was reviewed and enhanced.

This pause wasn’t an indictment of all Iraqis trying to resettle in America or those refugees already here. It was a recognition that there were enough security concerns to take a sensible pause as we reassess our security measures.

Today we are at a similar point. Strengthening the vetting process in light of new threats is the prudent course of action.

As ISIS shifts tactics, from territory acquisition to high-casualty attacks on civilian populations, part of their stated plans include hiding in refugee populations to enter Western nations. Just this month, FBI Director James Comey testified, “I can’t sit here and offer anybody an absolute assurance that there’s no risk associated with that.”

This week, five Syrians were discovered in Honduras with fake passports, trying to get into the United States. In Turkey, eight suspected members of ISIS were arrested with plans of posing as refugees to enter Europe.

There is a clear security risk that gives so many Americans pause. It is not a hate or fear of outsiders, as some have falsely ascribed, but a genuine recognition that ISIS is attempting to shift the battlefield.

Sitting on the House Intelligence and Armed Services committees, I know a challenge we face is a lack of documentation from war-torn Syria to vet records against. Government databases are in the hands of Syrian President Assad, and many personal records have been destroyed. With little to vet against, it is difficult to certify documents and individuals.

America is one of the most giving nations in the world, from continuous airlifts during the Berlin Blockade to the hospital ships USS Hope and Mercy traveling the world to provide humanitarian aid. Currently, we are the biggest donor to countries like Lebanon and Jordan that are most immediately affected by the migrant crisis. But our compassion should not jeopardize our security.

On Thursday, the House voted to pause resettlement as we ensure the vetting process is complete and accountable, passing with a bipartisan, veto-proof margin.

The strengthened provisions provide for a more thorough screening process, requiring unanimous certification to Congress by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence that each person who wishes to enter our country as a refugee from Syria and Iraq does not pose a threat to our national security.

The Senate is examining another risk: our visa waiver program with 38 countries. The Parisian attackers show that radicalized citizens of traditional allies can also pose a risk, and Congress is examining vulnerabilities within the current process.

The fabric of our society is made from generations and centuries of those coming to America to be patriotic Americans.

Our national security is not at odds with our American character. The rich civil society that has flourished here is a result of Americans feeling secure at home. We must be prudent when real risk is involved. New threats require renewed caution to ensure that America can continue to be a welcoming and generous country where freedom and safety coexist.