Congress eyes Syrian refugee threat — from Canada
A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of Feb. 1.
US lawmakers have identified a new potential source of poorly vetted Syrian refugees: Canada.
The Senate Homeland Security Committee is slated to hold a hearing Feb. 3, on Canada's so-called fast-track refugee plan and its implications for US national security. Canadian experts and a US Border Patrol agent are slated to testify.
The hearing comes as new Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees over the next year. Trudeau initially planned to admit them in just six weeks, but was forced to review that timeline amid worries that they could not be properly vetted in such a short time.
US lawmakers, particularly Republicans, remain worried that even the new plan remains far too ambitious and could put America at risk since Western intelligence agencies have little information about Syrian applicants. The House voted in November to pause President Barack Obama's plan to bring in 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year. The bill died in the Senate on Jan. 20 on a strict party-line vote.
