Congressional Republicans have recently taken measures to prevent President Biden from resettling Palestinian refugees in the United States amid the ongoing conflict with Israel. Reps. Andy Ogles (R-TN), Tom Tiffany (R-WI), and Scott Perry (R-PA), alongside many GOP senators, have launched initiatives to thwart Biden’s plans.
According to recent reports, the Biden administration is considering the use of the federal government’s refugee resettlement program to usher in the Palestinians. Congressional Democrats devised a similar plan late last year, shortly after war broke out between Hamas and Israel.
In response, the Republican representatives wrote a letter to House Appropriators requesting an adjustment to the Fiscal Year 2025 spending bill that would prohibit using funds to issue a visa or grant parole to any nonresident with a Palestinian passport.
The letter from House Republicans read, “Whatever fanciful leftist notion to the contrary, the United States of America cannot be expected to absorb the rest of the world’s problems. It would make much more sense for states in the region to take in those in need. If the administration is indeed working in concert with our allies in the region to pave the way for peace, that should come with the expectation that those allies are working in good faith to “do their part.”
Rep. Ogles blasted the idea of bringing in hundreds of thousands of “unvetted” refugees from the region, suggesting it could pose a national security risk. The Tennessee representative cited overwhelming Palestinian support for Hamas, which the U.S. government designates as a terrorist organization.
“Mindlessly allowing hundreds of thousands of unvetted Palestinian aliens into our nation is an unacceptable threat to national security,” Ogles stated. “The vast majority of Palestinian Arabs continue to support Hamas’ butchery on October 7 and hate our American way of life.”
Rep. Tiffany sounded off on Biden over the proposal, suggesting he is forsaking American interest in treating America as the “dumping ground” for global problems. He said, “It isn’t America’s responsibility, or in America’s best interest, to let Joe Biden continue treating our country as a dumping ground for the rest of the world’s problems.” The Wisconsin Republican suggested the Palestinians could seek refuge “in other countries in the region, not here.”
Over in the Senate, 35 Republicans led by Joni Ernst (R-IA) have pressed Biden for more details about this vague plan to resettle the Gazan refugees in American communities. Echoing a similar sentiment to the House Republicans, the senators suggested a mass importation of the Palestinians could present a risk to national security.
The letter further cited that over one-third of Gazans support Hamas. Given that the Biden administration has failed to screen the millions of illegal immigrants who have poured over the southern border, there is skepticism it would be able to vet the “high-risk population for terrorists properly.
“Your administration’s reported plan to accept Gazan refugees poses a national security risk to the United States. With more than a third of Gazans supporting the Hamas militants, we are not confident that your administration can adequately vet this high-risk population for terrorist ties and sympathies before admitting them into the United States,” the letter from the senators read.
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