Ernst urges Obama to pause refugee resettlement as he has in the past

CEDAR RAPIDS - Sen. Joni Ernst is calling for a 'pause” in Syrian refugee resettlement similar to one ordered by President Barack Obama in 2011 to block Iraqi refugees.

In light of reports that terrorists who 'followed the flood of refugees” in Europe and were involved in the Paris attacks, Ernst is advocating for a pause 'so we can make sure the vetting process is as thorough as possible.”

'Such a 'pause” is not unprecedented, the freshman Republican said in her weekly conference call with Iowa reporters.

Although Obama is refusing to temporarily pause its Syrian refugee resettlement program, his State Department, while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of States, stopped processing Iraqi refugees for six months in 2011 after the FBI uncovered evidence that terrorists from Iraq had come to the United States through the refugee resettlement program.

President George W. Bush ordered a similar two-month delay in accepting refugees after the Sept. 11. 2001, terrorist attacks.

Given questions raised about the vetting process, including those raised by Gov. Terry Branstad and more than half of all state governors, Ernst said the nation should 'step back” temporarily.

She wants to 'assess the situation, make sure all of the appropriate vetting processes are working and then if enhancements are needed, we go ahead and implement those enhancements before we start bringing refugees in.” Department of Homeland Security Director Jeh Johnson already is working on enhancements to the refugee vetting process, she said.

Although she called for a review of visa waivers and securing the U.S.-Mexican border following reports of people entering the country with Syrian passports, Ernst rejected the suggestion of a religious test for Syrian refugees.

'I don't think we should have that religious test,” Ernst said, 'as long as we know that refugees want to be Americans and subscribe to our ideals and values, recognizing that we are a nation built on Judeo-Christian principles.”

She also rejected Obama's suggestion that resistance to the Syrian refugee resettlement efforts by GOP presidential hopefuls is aiding the enemy.

'What it is doing is allowing people to speak freely,” according to Ernst. 'It's not a Republican issue. It's not a Democratic issue. It's an American issue and you're seeing people on both sides of aisle come together and express concern over the vetting process.”

Her comments came before the U.S. House voted 289 to 137 with 47 Democrats joining Republicans to approve a bill aimed at tightening controls on refugees from Syria and Iraq.

Senate Democrats have said they will block the bill, which Obama has said he will veto.