Latest News

Washington, DC– Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) this week voted in support of H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act.

“We must ensure that we are doing all we can to prevent terrorists from entering our country.  The bill that passed the House establishes the most robust vetting process in the world for persons coming from the countries where ISIL is most firmly established, Iraq and Syria,” said Congressman Guthrie.  “I was a cosponsor of this bill and now that it has passed with strong bipartisan support, I am hopeful the Senate will quickly pass the bill.”

H.R. 4038 passed the House by a vote of 289-137.  This bill is the work product of a task force assembled by Speaker Ryan in the immediate aftermath of the Paris attacks last week.  The bill suspends admission to the U.S. of Syrian and Iraqi refugees until the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the FBI, and the Director of National Intelligence all certify that each individual refugee does not represent a security threat to the U.S.  The bill requires certifications to be made directly to Congress for each admission, and requires the FBI to conduct a thorough review of the background check process.

“We have a proud tradition of welcoming refugees to our country, and the U.S. leads the world in providing humanitarian assistance.  However, we also must take precautions to protect our borders from radical Islamic terrorists who are relentless in finding ways to attack us.  Their threats are serious, and they must be destroyed.  We cannot allow them to slip through our defenses,” added Congressman Guthrie.

###