Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) released the following statement today after a bipartisan, veto-proof majority passed the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 (H.R. 4038):

“Last week’s horrific attacks in Paris exposed the grave threats we face from terrorists seeking to exploit refugee programs.  Ahmad al-Mohammad, the bomber who blew himself up at the soccer stadium in Paris, posed as a Syrian refugee when he entered Europe. 

“There are serious concerns about our ability to vet Syrian refugees.  This common-sense reform helps reduce vulnerabilities and ensure that we fulfill our most important responsibility: keeping Americans safe.” 

Note: Yesterday, Chairman Royce convened a joint hearing with the House Homeland Security Committee to examine the threats posed by foreign fighters seeking to return to the United States and our allies.  During the hearing the committees learned that intelligence and law enforcement in Europe are overwhelmed – overwhelmed by the sheer number of foreign fighters and overwhelmed by new technologies that make jihadists harder to track.

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