Washington, D.C. — Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) has joined a letter calling on President Biden to stop the reported plan to welcome Gazan refugees into the United States before American hostages held by Hamas are released from Gaza.
They said, “Our first obligation should be to rescue our own citizens, not Gazans.”
The letter was led by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and co-signed by a total of 34 Senators.
Key excerpt:
“Your administration’s reported plan to accept Gazan refugees poses a national security risk to the United States. With more than a third of Gazans supporting the Hamas militants, we are not confident that your administration can adequately vet this high-risk population for terrorist ties and sympathies before admitting them into the United States…We are also frustrated that your administration is pushing ahead with a plan to evacuate Gazans from the Strip when there are still American citizens held hostage by Hamas. We demand that your administration cease planning for accepting Gazan refugees until you adequately answer our concerns and focus your attention instead on securing the release of U.S. hostages held by Hamas.”
Read the full text of the letter
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