Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sought approval of a handful of amendments, including one on Donald Trump’s push to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country.
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) Disregarded the issue and called the effort “ridiculous” and said Democrats were trivializing the refugee issue “by bringing the circus to town on the floor of the Senate.”
[quote_box_left]The refugee legislation, which passed the House late last year, would “pause” the resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the U.S. until the Obama administration certifies that they aren’t a national security threat. Sixty votes were needed to move forward.[/quote_box_left]
[quote_center]This brought down the legislation on Wednesday with effort of some senate democrats, which will bring to an end the resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the United States.[/quote_center]
Fighting over refugee resettlement has intensified amid rising fears about the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Some worry the terrorist group could use the program to slip fighters into the U.S. and carry out attacks on American soil like the carnage the group unleashed in Paris last year.
President Obama has threatened to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.