In the aftermath of the Islamist terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday, Republicans in the Sunshine State are pushing back against President Barack Obama agreeing to have 10,000 Syrian refugees relocate to the Sunshine State.
Gov. Rick Scott sent a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., urging them to stand against Obama and ensure Syrian refugees are not sent to Florida. In the letter, Scott pointed to reports noting that at least one of the terrorists involved in the Paris attacks had come to France as a Syrian refugee. Scott also insisted the state government will not support taking in any refugees from Syria.
“Please be aware that several organizations have requested that our state Department of Children and Families support the relocation of 425 possible Syrian refugees to Florida, as they receive federal funding to house these refugees in our state,” Scott wrote on Monday. “Following the terrorist attacks by ISIS in Paris that killed over 120 people and wounded more than 350, and the news that at least one of the terror attack suspects gained access to France by posing as a Syrian refugee, our state agency will not support the requests we have received.
“More importantly, however, it is our understanding that the state does not have the authority to prevent the federal government from funding the relocation of these Syrian refugees to Florida even without state support,” Scott added. “Therefore, we are asking the United States Congress to take immediate and aggressive action to prevent President Obama and his administration from using any federal tax dollars to fund the relocation of up to 425 Syrian refugees (the total possible number of refugees pending for state relocation support at this time) to Florida, or anywhere in the United States, without an extensive evaluation of the risk these individuals may pose to our national security.
“As the federal elected body that exercises oversight and authorizes federal spending, please take any action available through the powers of the United States Congress to prevent federal allocations toward the relocation of Syrian refugees without extensive examination into how this would affect our homeland security,” Scott wrote in conclusion. “My office stands ready to provide any available information regarding this request for your immediate action.”
Also on Monday, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., wrote Obama, urging him to deny allowing refugees from Syria to immigrate to the U.S.
"It is clear that radical Islam is waging war against America and Western civilization," Buchanan said. "We cannot allow terrorists to seep through a porous refugee screening process to kill Americans."
Buchanan backed safe zones for the refugees in other nations and noted the FBI warned last month about terrorists disguising themselves as refugees.
“In light of reports that one of the Paris terrorists slipped into France disguised as a refugee, I urge you today to impose an immediate moratorium on accepting refugees from Syria into the United States,” Buchanan wrote. “We cannot gamble with our national security and risk the lives of Americans on an imperfect refugee screening process. Even FBI Director James Comey admits we do not have the ability to adequately vet refugees from Syria.
“Instead, I urge you to work with world leaders to create a safe zone for refugees inside Syria or in a neighboring country,” Buchanan continued. “The United States should be a part of this humanitarian effort, but not its main financier. It is clear that radical Islam is waging war against America and Western civilization. We cannot allow terrorists to seep through a porous refugee screening process to kill Americans.
“I urge you to abandon your plan to bring 10,000 or more Syrian refugees into the United States and work with the international community to create safe zones in or around Syria,” Buchanan concluded.
Senate hopeful U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., also weighed in on Monday, demanding to know if Florida Democratic U.S Reps. Alan Grayson and Patrick Murphy, who are also running for the Senate in 2016, stand with Obama on the issue.
“Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama want the United States to take tens of thousands of Syrian refugees despite the terrorist attacks in Paris and the government's inability to screen them for terrorist sympathies. Do Patrick Murphy and Alan Grayson agree with them?” asked DeSantis. “We have to err on the side of protecting the American people and we cannot run the risk of bringing terrorists into the United States. One of the terrorists in the Paris attack came into France as a refugee and left earth as part of a coordinated attack that killed innocent people. Patrick Murphy and Alan Grayson already support Obama’s reckless Iran deal – do they stand with him on his risky refugee policy as well?”
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
