In blow to Obama, House okays Syrian refugee curbs

WASHINGTON — Republicans embarrassed President Barack Obama by winning veto-proof House approval of legislation blocking Syrian and Iraqi refugees from the US, but from here the effort may take a different turn in in the Senate.

Six days after the Paris attacks, the House voted 289-137 Thursday to essentially bar refugees from the two war-ravaged countries while tighter entry restrictions are imposed. In a rebuke to Obama that even an eleventh-hour visit to the Capitol by top administration officials could not avert, 47 Democrats — including many facing tight 2016 re-elections — joined the Republicans, yielding the two-thirds margin needed to override vetoes.

Though Republicans felt they’d found a soft spot for Democrats no longer constrained to back a lame-duck president, Congress prepared to leave town until after the Thanksgiving national holiday and its next moves were uncertain.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell slotted the House bill for possible Senate consideration and said pausing the refugee process would be “the most reasonable and balanced thing for the administration to do.” His top deputy, Sen. John Cornyn said he’d like the Senate to ship the House measure to Obama — who has promised a veto.

Whether that bill could reach the White House remained unclear. At least six Democrats would have to join Republicans to push it through the Senate and 13 Democrats would be needed for a veto-proof tally — which the chamber’s top Democrat painted as far-fetched.

“Don’t worry, it won’t get passed,” Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid told reporters.

One top Senate Republican aide said it was unlikely that chamber would consider the House bill. The aide said senators were more concerned about potential weak spots in a program that lets foreigners enter the US without visas from 38 countries for short stays.

Senate Democrats also expressed interest in tightening the so-called visa waiver program. One proposal by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and others included a bar against foreigners from entering the US without visas if they’ve visited Syria or Iraq in the past five years.

The Islamic State, the terrorist group that has claimed credit for the Paris attacks, controls parts of Iraq and Syria and has prompted people to flee both countries. With polls showing many Americans wary of admitting those refugees, members of both parties were using the issue for campaign purposes.

Strict curbs like those the House approved could still complicate a congressional effort to prevent a pre-Christmas federal shutdown.

Conservatives remained eager to attach restrictions on Syrian and Iraqi refugees to a spending bill lawmakers must pass by Dec. 11 or face a partial government shutdown.

The House bill would require FBI background checks on Syrian and Iraqi refugees and require three top federal officials to certify that each refugee is safe.

Administration officials and many Democrats argued that the current vetting process was already tough, and accused Republicans of campaign-season fear-mongering. They said the screening involves multiple federal agencies and usually takes 18-to-24 months, making it an unlikely pathway for terrorists to use.

The administration plans to accept about 10,000 Syrian refugees in addition to the over 2,000 who have settled here in recent years.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.