Democrats Slam White House Messaging on Refugee Bill
In 24 hours, House Democrats have gone from opposing the GOP proposal to tighten the United States’ screening of Iraqi and Syrian refugees to supporting the bill in large numbers.The shift is due to a number of factors, including pressure from constituents to take action this week — as well as frustration with the White House’s inability to offer a compelling reason to wait.“What they should be doing is accepting the bill and offering to work with all of us on both sides to make it workable,” said Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, D-Va., of administration officials.President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the measure, which the Office of Management and Budget said “would introduce unnecessary and impractical requirements” on the vetting of refugees fleeing both war-torn Syria and Iraq who are victims of terrorism at the hands of the Islamic State.Connolly, who plans to vote for the GOP bill, left a Democratic whip meeting Thursday morning unsatisfied with the pitch he and his colleagues had just received from White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.“Frankly, my sense is more and more of my colleagues feel the same way,” he said, adding there was a “lack of a compelling reason to vote ‘no.’”
Source: Democrats Slam White House Messaging on Refugee Bill
