Congress threatens to shut down government over Syrian refugees
A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of Nov. 30.
Republicans in Congress are threatening to shut down the government to keep Syrian refugees out of the country.
House lawmakers voted 289-137 Nov. 19 to suspend refugee admissions from Syria and Iraq amid fears that Islamic State (IS) terrorists could abuse President Barack Obama's plan to accept 10,000 Syrians over the next 10 months. Faced with a veto threat and recalcitrant Democrats in the Senate, House Republicans are now threatening a showdown over government spending to get their way.
Funding for the current fiscal year runs out Dec. 11. The year-end drama of recent years seemed likely to be averted after former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, worked out a comprehensive budget deal to help fund the government until next fall before stepping down.
That effort now seems in danger after the Paris attacks have prompted 74 House Republicans to demand that the spending bill include stronger guarantees about the refugee program's safety. Democrats opposed to the freeze argue that shutting the nation's door amid the worst refugee crisis since World War II would feed right into IS propaganda, while Republicans blame Obama's Middle East policy for fueling public angst.
