Senate heads toward fight over refugee ‘pause’

by Jordain Carney - 01/12/16 5:12 PM ET

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has teed up a procedural vote on legislation halting the acceptance of Syrian and Iraqi refugees until authorities can verify that terrorists are not trying to infiltrate the program.

{mosads}McConnell’s action on Tuesday means the Senate will take an initial vote on the legislation, already approved by the House, on Jan. 20. Sixty votes will be needed to move forward.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) suggested earlier in the day that the Senate could vote on the House-passed bill, telling reporters that it “sounds like that’s a good prospect.”

McConnell had long promised to consider legislation on the refugee acceptance program during the first quarter of 2016, though it was unclear if the he would take up the House bill or move a separate piece of Senate legislation.

Then the Department of Justice announced late last week that it had arrested two Iraqi-born Palestinians, who had entered the country as refugees, on terrorism-related charges.

Republicans in both chambers quickly galvanized off the arrests, trying to build pressure on the Senate to take up a myriad of proposals.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is running for president, and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) have called on Republican leaders to take up legislation they introduced, separately, last year.

Meanwhile, House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — who spearheaded the House bill — said the Senate should take up his measure and not allow “more potential jihadists to slip through the cracks.”

The House bill could face an uphill battle in the Senate, where Democrats have repeatedly pledged to block it.

Asked last month about McConnell’s pledge to bring up a refugee bill, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said he believes they’ll be able to block Republicans from getting the six Democrats they’ll need to move forward on the House legislation.

“It doesn’t stand up to reason that we’re focusing on 70,000 people that are vetted for two years,” he told The Hill at the time.

Tags Dick Durbin John Cornyn Mark Kirk Mitch McConnell Ted Cruz