Political Quotes

“He went on to say: ``It is true that we are not going to know a whole lot of the Syrians that come forth in this process, just given the nature of the situation.'' That is understandable. Syria has been engaged in a civil war over the last few years, and it is hard to imagine that we know a lot about those who want to come here as refugees. It doesn't mean they shouldn't come here, but we do need to enhance the security screening and make sure we are confident that the ones who do come will not be a threat to the public. The Director of the FBI also shared his concerns by saying: ``We see a risk there.'' So if you have the FBI Director and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security saying there are risks and concerns about refugees coming from Syria to the United States, I would say we ought to listen to them. I hope our colleagues across the aisle will reconsider their purported plans to block this legislation. We vote on it at 2:30 p.m., so there is plenty of time to talk more about it and have discussions about how there is maybe a path forward. If, in fact, there is ultimately a filibuster and our friends across the aisle decide to block the American SAFE Act--and, again, I hope they don't do that--I don't think we are doing our job or doing everything in our power to enhance the public safety. With that, I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The assistant Democratic leader.”