White House: Obama would veto tougher refugee checks

The US House of Representatives is set to vote as early as Thursday on resolution 4038, which aims to block administration plans to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the coming year.

The bill also calls for FBI background checks. It wouldn't, however, end the refugee program or implement religious screenings as some Republicans have demanded.

According to the White House, the US' current screening process involves multiple federal intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies, including the National Counterterrorism Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Departments of Homeland Security, State, and Defense.

'World's most vulnerable'

Washington said on Wednesday that the proposed bill would introduce "unnecessary and impractical requirements" that would harm efforts to assist some of the world's most vulnerable people."

"Given the lives at stake and the critical importance to our partners in the Middle East and Europe of American leadership in addressing the Syrian refugee crisis, if the President were presented with HR 4038, he would veto the bill," the White House said.

'Obligation'

The legislation, proposed by House Homeland Security chairman Michael McCaul, follows the fatal terrorist bombings and shootings in Paris last Friday which saw 129 people killed and more than 350 injured.

In light of the attacks, speaker Paul Ryan described the bill as "common sense" and the "obligation" of the House of Representatives.

"If the intelligence and law-enforcement community cannot certify that a person presents no threat, then they should not be allowed in."

ksb/bw (AFP, AP, Reuters)