GOP blames Obama for anti-refugee backlash
Republicans say a failed Middle East strategy has fueled "fear and panic" in the United States.
Republicans are blaming President Barack Obama for a post-Paris panic that has fueled a nationwide backlash against Syrian refugees.
They say the president has failed to take the Islamic State (IS) seriously and stop the bloodshed in Syria and Iraq. And that has raised concerns about his administration's ability to properly vet the 10,000 Syrian refugees he wants to bring in over the next 10 months.
"The American public has very little faith in this administration, when they assure the American public that somehow they're able to determine that Syrians that come to this country are going to be trustworthy and we will be safe," said Rep. Ken Buck, R-Col. "It's a result of this administration's lack of credibility that has caused the fear and panic among many of the Americans in this country."
Buck made the remarks at a hearing of the Judiciary Committee panel on immigration regarding the risks posed by Syrian refugees following attacks in Paris that killed at least 129 people. Hours later, the House voted 289-137 in favor of legislation to pause admissions for refugees fleeing IS in Syria and Iraq.
