As US Officials Move to Strengthen Refugee Vetting, Obama Threatens to Veto Bill

As US Officials Move to Strengthen Refugee Vetting, Obama Threatens to Veto Bill
AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos
Zachary Stieber
Zachary Stieber
Senior Reporter
|Updated:

U.S. President Barack Obama threatened to veto legislation the House is preparing that would strengthen background checks on Syrian refugees entering the country, upsetting Republicans behind the bill.

Obama made the threat late Nov. 18, as the House was preparing a bill for floor action as early as Nov. 19.

The bill, which is being crafted by multiple officials and led by new House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), would raise the hurdles for refugee admission, including requiring the FBI director to certify a background investigation for each refugee.

The legislation would also require several top security officials to certify that each refugee is not a security threat to the U.S. -- before a refugee from Iraq or Syria can be admitted, according to Fox News.

The bill will not include any religious tests, which were suggested by some in the GOP recently.

U.S. President Barack Obama pauses while answering a reporters question during a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
U.S. President Barack Obama pauses while answering a reporters question during a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015. AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Zachary Stieber
Zachary Stieber
Senior Reporter
Zachary Stieber is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times based in Maryland. He covers U.S. and world news. Contact Zachary at [email protected]
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