Local lawmakers split over refugee plan
Suburban members of Congress largely split along party lines on legislation that could stop Syrian refugees from entering the U.S. for now.
Republican Reps. Peter Roskam of Wheaton, Randy Hultgren of Winfield and Bob Dold of Kenilworth voted for the plan, which would require top security officials to rule the refugees pose no threat. "Before moving forward, we must have 100 percent certainty that no individual with sympathies to ISIS is brought into the United States," a letter signed by local Republican lawmakers this week reads.
Democratic Reps. Bill Foster of Naperville, Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates, Jan Schakowsky of Evanston and Mike Quigley of Chicago voted against the measure. Rep. Dan Lipinski of Western Springs broke with Democrats to vote for the proposal.
"I am disappointed that this legislation was not a serious attempt to address security concerns, but is instead a political football that would not improve the security of vetting systems already in place," Foster said in a statement.
The proposal was approved by the House and sent to the Senate. President Barack Obama has promised a veto.
The Syrian refugee issue has become especially pointed in Illinois, where Gov. Bruce Rauner has said the state won't accept new refugees for now. Whether he has the power to refuse them, however, is in question.