Pearce reacts to SAFE Act passage

The Islamic State of Iraq has been at war with the United States for more than two years in the view of U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce.

The Republican from the 2nd Congressional District of New Mexico that includes Lincoln County, was interviewed on radio station KRUI about his vote on House Bill 4038, which implements a pause in processing of Syrian refugees to the United States. The bill passed Thursday in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, but the president has vowed to veto it. While the final vote, 289-137, is enough to override a veto, the legislation may face a tough battle in the Senate, where Democrats pledge to block it.

The American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act proposed by Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, would require "comprehensive background checks" of every refugee from Iraq or Syria, as well as certification from the nation's top security officials.

The bill requires the secretary of Homeland Security, the director of the FBI and the director of National Intelligence to certify States that the individual does not represent a security threat before admitting any Syrian or Iraqi refugee into the United States.

"I wish it was stronger, going into the budget and taking away all the funding for the program, but this requires a pause in processing of Syrian refugees until (the three agencies) are able to verify that the people coming in are not terrorists," Pearce said.

"While not perfect, it is a needed step to make certain our nation’s values and security are appropriately balanced," he stated in a news release. “Our founders built a nation around faith, freedom, and compassion. Over time, these values have established the very bedrock of what it means to be an American. They have been seen time and again as a beacon of hope, which for centuries, people have sought to escape persecution, harm, and danger. The same is true today. These are values we must never forget or relinquish, but we also have a responsibility to all our citizens, and all those looking for safe harbor, to protect our shores."

Part of the reason for the pause is for congress to assess the criteria being used to distinguish between people who may or may not be a threat to the nation, Pearce said. Doing background checks is difficult, because usually credentials and records can be checked with police, military and other governmental agencies. But in the case of Syria, the government and those agencies basically are nonfunctional, he said. The bill that was passed Thursday was the best that could be assembled in three days, he said.

Pearce said he thinks the American people want the country's leaders to do what is safe in dealing with the refugee issue. A more humanitarian approach would be to go into Syria and create a safe zone with American soldiers protecting rather than distributing families and individuals around the world, he said. What he's hearing from the public is that people wouldn't object to creating a safe zone in Syria, the congressman said.

Pearce said ISIS has gained a deeper foothold, because of a lack of strategy by the Obama Administration.

"As I’ve said for over a year, we must cut the terror group off at its source, which is oil, by continuing massive air strikes against its oil assets until their funding is cut off entirely," he stated in the release.

He talked to administration officials more than a year ago about how the United States could shut off the oil that is financing ISIS by dismantling the places where transport trucks are loaded.

"Just this week, I saw where they were bragging about hitting a convoy," he said. But a more effective approach would be to dismantle every loading dock. That way wells and holding facilities that could be used by more stable and safe successors of ISIS in control of oilfields won't be damaged, he said.

"(The administration) refused to listen and (ISIS) spooled up and now we are seeing attacks around the world," Pearce said. With $1 million in black market oil revenue daily, ISIS has enough money to do significant damage. The 9-11 terrorists only had $150,000, he said.

More threats are being aimed at America and citizens are waiting for the president to "give us a plan on how he will not just contain ISIS, but how he will defeat and kill them," Pearce said. The chaos is growing and will escalate without a strong response, he warned.

The president should be working with moderate nations such as Jordan and Egypt in the war against terror, but he appears to be discouraging their participation, Pearce said.

"There are a lot of things the president should have been doing, but he looks like he is unwilling to get into the really hard task not just of containing them, but defeating them," Pearce said. "The world right now seems to be on a razor's edge. People are alarmed at what's happening."