Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) attended a Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee oversight hearing on the Obama Administration’s FY 2017 Refugee Resettlement Program, where he urged his colleagues to put politics aside and find concrete ways to improve the U.S. refugee program.
Senator Tillis on the need to address the U.S. refugee system in a bipartisan manner:
“We as committee members should stop talking about a Republican position and a Democrat position, and come up with a responsible, compassionate position for these refugees. We should also come up with responsible policies so people are not forced to make the heart-breaking decision to leave their nations. I don’t think a lot of people were born and say they want to leave their nations, they are threatened with their lives and their family’s lives. That is a profound decision that is one I hope I never have to make in the United States. I think most people want to live in their nation of birth, where their family lives and cultures are. However, there are failures in this system and people are talking past each other. Politicians and bureaucrats are parties to this problem and we need to start address it.”
Senator Tillis on improving the integrity of the U.S. refugee system:
“We should take the opportunity to improve the integrity of the system so we don’t continue to have the circular discussion about refugees or not. We are a nation founded on immigration, but we are in a time where people can be radicalized on Twitter. We have to be absolutely certain the people coming here want to honor our nation. We want to save them, we want to help them, but we expect them to come to this country and participate fully in society.”
Watch Senator Tillis’ full comments at the Subcommittee hearing here.
Senator Tillis on the need to address the U.S. refugee system in a bipartisan manner:
“We as committee members should stop talking about a Republican position and a Democrat position, and come up with a responsible, compassionate position for these refugees. We should also come up with responsible policies so people are not forced to make the heart-breaking decision to leave their nations. I don’t think a lot of people were born and say they want to leave their nations, they are threatened with their lives and their family’s lives. That is a profound decision that is one I hope I never have to make in the United States. I think most people want to live in their nation of birth, where their family lives and cultures are. However, there are failures in this system and people are talking past each other. Politicians and bureaucrats are parties to this problem and we need to start address it.”
Senator Tillis on improving the integrity of the U.S. refugee system:
“We should take the opportunity to improve the integrity of the system so we don’t continue to have the circular discussion about refugees or not. We are a nation founded on immigration, but we are in a time where people can be radicalized on Twitter. We have to be absolutely certain the people coming here want to honor our nation. We want to save them, we want to help them, but we expect them to come to this country and participate fully in society.”
Watch Senator Tillis’ full comments at the Subcommittee hearing here.
###
