2024: Schweikert Voted To Clarify That Limitations On Aid To Syria Apply To Both Direct And Indirect Support Of The Bashar Al-Assad Regime. In June 2024, Schweikert voted for , according to Congressional Quarterly, "amendment no. 75 that would add language to clarify that the bill's limitations on funding to Syria would apply to both direct and indirect support to the regime of Bashar al-Assad." The vote was on the amendment. The underlying legislation was the FY 2025 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 257 to 154. [House Vote 322, 6/27/24; Congressional Quarterly, 6/27/24; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt.1066; Congressional Actions, H.R. 8771]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against An Amendment That Would Prohibit U.S. Military Presence In Syria Without Congressional Approval Within A Year Of The National Defense Authorization Act FY 2022's Enactment. In September 2021, Schweikert voted against an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "prohibit U.S. military presence in Syria without congressional approval, beginning one year after the bill's enactment." The vote was on adoption of an amendment. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 141-286. [House Vote 276, 9/23/21; Congressional Quarterly, 9/23/21; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt. 111; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4350]
2022: Schweikert Voted For An Amendment That Would Have Prohibited U.S. Troops In Syria Without Congressional Approval. In July 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which would "prohibit U.S. military presence in Syria without Congressional approval, beginning one year after enactment." The vote was on the adoption of an amendment. The House rejected the amendment by a vote 155-273. [House Vote 335, 7/14/22; Congressional Quarterly, 7/14/22; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt. 272; Congressional Actions, H.R. 7900]
2015: Schweikert Voted For The American SAFE Act Which Would Effectively Prohibit Admitting Syrian Refugees. In November 2015, Schweikert voted for to effectively prohibit admitting Syrian refugees into the United States. According to USA Today, the legislation would have "halt[ed] the admission of Syrian refugees into the U.S. until they undergo a more stringent vetting process --- the strictest ever required for people fleeing a war-torn nation. [...] [Opponents of the bill] argued that the bill's new requirements would effectively shut down the U.S. refugee resettlement program for Syrians." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 289 to 135. The Senate rejected a cloture motion on a motion to proceed in January 2016. President Obama has threatened to veto the bill. [House Vote 643, 11/19/15; USA Today, 11/19/15; Statement of Administration Policy, 11/18/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4038]
Legislation Would Require The Secretary Of Homeland Security, The Director Of The FBI And The Director Of The National Intelligence To Certify That A Thorough Background Check Was Conducted And That The Refugee Is Not A Threat Before Admittance. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill would have "prohibit[ed] admitting any refugee from Iraq or Syria to the United States before the secretary of Homeland Security, with the unanimous concurrence of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the director of National Intelligence, has conducted a thorough background check on any refugee from Iraq or Syria and certified that they are not a security threat to the United States. Further, the bill would [have] require[d] that the secretary of Homeland Security submit a monthly report to the appropriate congressional committees on the number of applications for admission and number of security certifications not made. [Congressional Quarterly, 11/19/15]
New York Times: Legislation Is In Part A Response To The Terrorist Attacks in Paris. According to a New York Times Editorial, "Conceived partly in response to the Paris attacks, the bill seeks to 'pause' admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Though there are real fears of terrorism, this measure represents election-year pandering to the xenophobia that rears up when threats from abroad arise. People who know these issues --- law enforcement and intelligence professionals, immigration officials and humanitarian groups --- say that this wrongheaded proposal simply would not protect Americans from "foreign enemies." [New York Times Editorial, 11/18/15]
Since The Beginning Of The Syrian War, Half Of The Population Has Left As Refugees. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, more than half of Syria's prewar population of 22 million people have fled their homes, half of whom are children. More than 4 million have left the country and become refugees, while approximately 8 million are internally displaced within the country's borders. Of those who have left the country, most continue to reside in refugee camps within Turkey and Jordan. Beginning last summer, however, increasing numbers have attempted to reach Europe through Greece, the Balkans and other routes. Of these, most are attempting to reach Germany, which has admitted close to 100,000 migrants from Syria." [Congressional Quarterly, 11/18/15]
President Obama Has Said That The Government Would Admit An Additional 10,000 Refugees. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The United States in FY 2015 admitted 70,000 refugees into the nation, of whom fewer than 2,000 were from Syria. (The three largest groups came from Myanmar, Iraq and Somalia.) Most of the Syrian refugees admitted into the U.S. thus far have been single mothers and their children, religious minorities and victims of violence or torture. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama said the government would increase to 10,000 the number of Syrian refugees whom the U.S. admits. According to the State Department, those additional admittees will come from the 18,000 referrals already submitted by the United Nations; more than half are expected to be children." [Congressional Quarterly, 11/18/15]
Refugee Screening Process Already Includes Screenings By Several Agencies And Is A Lengthy Process. According to NPR, "1. Refugees are screened by several different agencies. Their first point of a refugee's contact is with the U.N. High Commission for Refugees. The UNHCR refers people to countries based on whether they have any family members there and where resettlement makes the most sense, say U.S. officials. If that's the U.S., then refugees are vetted by the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center, and the Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security. Fingerprints are taken, biographical information is collected. They are then each individually interviewed by U.S. officials trained to verify that they're bona fide refugees. Refugees from Syria are then subject to additional screening that looks at where they came from and what caused them to flee their home, stories that are checked out. All of this occurs before a refugee is allowed to set foot in the country. 2. It's a lengthy process. As you might imagine, all of the vetting, from interviews to fingerprinting, takes a while. On average, officials say it's 18 to 24 months before a refugee is approved for admission to the U.S." [NPR, 11/18/15]
Opponents Note That The Legislation Plays Into ISIS's Hands. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Opponents of the bill argue that it unnecessarily denies entry into the United States to those who are fleeing the terror of the Islamic State, and that by grossly exaggerating the risks of the current refugee program it plays into the hands of ISIL by promoting fear and panic in the U.S." [Congressional Quarterly, 11/18/15]
2015: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against To Only Require The Secretary Of Homeland Security And Not The Federal Bureau Of Investigation And The Director Of National Intelligence To Certify That An Iraqi And Syrian Refugee Is Not A Threat. In November 2015, Schweikert effectively voted against to only require the Secretary of Homeland Security and not the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Director of National Intelligence to certify that an Iraqi and Syrian refugee is not a threat. According to Congressional Quarterly, the amendment would have "require[d] the secretary of Homeland Security to verify the identities and biographic information of Iraqi and Syrian refugees and certify that the individual is not a threat to the security of the United States, but would not require that the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the director of National Intelligence conduct background checks or concur in this certification." The underlying legislation would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "prohibit[ed] admitting any refugee from Iraq or Syria to the United States before the secretary of Homeland Security, with the unanimous concurrence of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the director of National Intelligence, has conducted a thorough background check on any refugee from Iraq or Syria and certified that they are not a security threat to the United States." The vote was on a motion to recommit. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 180 to 244. [House Vote 642, 11/19/15; Congressional Quarterly, 11/19/15; Congressional Quarterly, 11/19/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4038]
According To Bill Opponents, Underlying Legislation Would Effectively Prohibit Admitting Syrian Refugees. According to USA Today, "[Opponents of the bill] argued that the bill's new requirements would effectively shut down the U.S. refugee resettlement program for Syrians." [USA Today, 11/19/15]
Underlying Legislation Would Require The Secretary Of Homeland Security, The Director Of The FBI And The Director Of The National Intelligence To Certify That A Thorough Background Check Was Conducted And That The Refugee Is Not A Threat Before Admittance. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill would have "prohibit[ed] admitting any refugee from Iraq or Syria to the United States before the secretary of Homeland Security, with the unanimous concurrence of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the director of National Intelligence, has conducted a thorough background check on any refugee from Iraq or Syria and certified that they are not a security threat to the United States. Further, the bill would [have] require[d] that the secretary of Homeland Security submit a monthly report to the appropriate congressional committees on the number of applications for admission and number of security certifications not made. [Congressional Quarterly, 11/19/15]
New York Times: Underlying Legislation Is In Part A Response To The Terrorist Attacks in Paris. According to a New York Times Editorial, "Conceived partly in response to the Paris attacks, the bill seeks to 'pause' admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Though there are real fears of terrorism, this measure represents election-year pandering to the xenophobia that rears up when threats from abroad arise. People who know these issues --- law enforcement and intelligence professionals, immigration officials and humanitarian groups --- say that this wrongheaded proposal simply would not protect Americans from "foreign enemies." [New York Times Editorial, 11/18/15]
Since The Beginning Of The Syrian War, Half Of The Population Has Left As Refugees. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, more than half of Syria's prewar population of 22 million people have fled their homes, half of whom are children. More than 4 million have left the country and become refugees, while approximately 8 million are internally displaced within the country's borders. Of those who have left the country, most continue to reside in refugee camps within Turkey and Jordan. Beginning last summer, however, increasing numbers have attempted to reach Europe through Greece, the Balkans and other routes. Of these, most are attempting to reach Germany, which has admitted close to 100,000 migrants from Syria." [Congressional Quarterly, 11/18/15]
President Obama Has Said That The Government Would Admit An Additional 10,000 Refugees. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The United States in FY 2015 admitted 70,000 refugees into the nation, of whom fewer than 2,000 were from Syria. (The three largest groups came from Myanmar, Iraq and Somalia.) Most of the Syrian refugees admitted into the U.S. thus far have been single mothers and their children, religious minorities and victims of violence or torture. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama said the government would increase to 10,000 the number of Syrian refugees whom the U.S. admits. According to the State Department, those additional admittees will come from the 18,000 referrals already submitted by the United Nations; more than half are expected to be children." [Congressional Quarterly, 11/18/15]
Refugee Screening Process Already Includes Screenings By Several Agencies And Is A Lengthy Process. According to NPR, "1. Refugees are screened by several different agencies. Their first point of a refugee's contact is with the U.N. High Commission for Refugees. The UNHCR refers people to countries based on whether they have any family members there and where resettlement makes the most sense, say U.S. officials. If that's the U.S., then refugees are vetted by the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center, and the Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security. Fingerprints are taken, biographical information is collected. They are then each individually interviewed by U.S. officials trained to verify that they're bona fide refugees. Refugees from Syria are then subject to additional screening that looks at where they came from and what caused them to flee their home, stories that are checked out. All of this occurs before a refugee is allowed to set foot in the country. 2. It's a lengthy process. As you might imagine, all of the vetting, from interviews to fingerprinting, takes a while. On average, officials say it's 18 to 24 months before a refugee is approved for admission to the U.S." [NPR, 11/18/15]
Opponents Of Underlying Legislation Note That It Plays Into ISIS's Hands. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Opponents of the bill argue that it unnecessarily denies entry into the United States to those who are fleeing the terror of the Islamic State, and that by grossly exaggerating the risks of the current refugee program it plays into the hands of ISIL by promoting fear and panic in the U.S." [Congressional Quarterly, 11/18/15]
2023: Schweikert Voted To Remove U.S. Armed Forces From Syria Within 180 Days. In March 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for a resolution that would "direct the president to remove U.S. armed forces from Syria within 180 days of adoption of the concurrent resolution." The vote was on passage. The House rejected the resolution by a vote of 103 to 321. [House Vote 136, 3/8/23; Congressional Quarterly, 3/8/23; Congressional Actions, H.Con. Res. 21]
The Resolution Would Have Effectively Forced President Biden To Remove About 900 U.S. Troops From Syria. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The House rejected an effort Wednesday to effectively force President Joe Biden to remove roughly 900 U.S. troops from Syria." [Congressional Quarterly, 3/8/23]
The U.S. Troops In Northeast Syria Assist The Syrian Democratic Forces In Countering The Islamic State's Presence. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Roughly 900 U.S. troops, many of them special forces, remain in northeast Syria. Through them, the United States is able to assist the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of Kurdish, Arab and other ethnic militias and rebel groups, in keeping the Islamic State's lingering presence in the region in check." [Congressional Quarterly, 3/8/23]
If The U.S. Were To Withdraw From Syria, The Refugee Camp That The Syrian Democratic Forces Oversee Would Erode And Refugees Would Flee. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The SDF oversees a refugee camp in the region, where tens of thousands of people, many of them related to ISIS fighters, reside. Also there are facilities run by the SDF where ISIS fighters are held prisoner. Should U.S. support for the SDF erode, those militants would likely escape." [Congressional Quarterly, 3/8/23]
2024: Schweikert Voted To Enact Sanctions On Individuals Associated With The Syrian Government That Engage In Activities To Contribute To The Production Or Distribution Of Captagon. In April 2024, Schweikert voted for , according to Congressional Quarterly, "the bill (HR 4681), as amended, that would impose sanctions on individuals, entities and networks associated with the Syrian government the president determined has engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that would contribute to, or pose a risk of materially contributing to, the production or distribution of captagon. It also would sanction those who knowingly receive property or interest in property that the foreign person knows is associated with the illicit production and distribution of captagon. Sanctions would include prohibiting transactions in property or interests in property; ineligibility for visas, admission or being paroled into the U.S. and the revocation of any current visa. The bill would allow sanctions to be waived if the president submits a written determination and justification to the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees and the Senate Foreign Relations, Judiciary and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committees if the waiver is important to the national security interests of the United States. It also would allow waivers for humanitarian assistance." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 410 to 13. [House Vote 129, 4/16/24; Congressional Quarterly, 4/16/24; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4681]
2024: Schweikert Voted To Expand Sanctions On Syria. In February 2024, Schweikert voted for , according to Congressional Quarterly, "the bill that would extend and expand sanctions authority under the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, extending the president's authority to impose sanctions through 2032 and allowing the president to impose sanctions on any person or entity that provides significant financial, material, or technological support to specific Syrian groups and companies. It would prohibit any action by the U.S. government to recognize or imply that the U.S. recognizes Bashar al-Assad or any government in Syria that is led by him. It also would expand who is sanctionable to include adult family members of a foreign person who violated the prohibition in the law, along with any entities owned or controlled by such individuals, with the exception of family members who the president determines have dissociated themselves from such individuals. Under the bill, sanctionable conduct would include knowingly engaging in the following: providing significant commercial financial services (over $5 million) to the Syrian government, providing significant financial, material or technological support to (or knowingly engaging in a significant transaction with) Syria Arab Airlines, Cham Wings or any foreign entity owned or controlled by either company, or diverting goods or international humanitarian assistance intended for the Syrian people. It also would require the president to make a determination, within 120 days of receiving a request from a certain congressional committee, on whether sanctions should be imposed against a specific person or entity." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 389 to 32. [House Vote 49, 2/14/24; Congressional Quarterly, 2/14/24; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3202]
2016: Schweikert Voted Against Funding The Syria Train And Equip Program. In June 2016, Schweikert voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "prohibit[ed] use of funds for the Syria train and equip program." The underlying legislation was an FY 2017 defense appropriation. The vote was on the amendment. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 135 to 283. [House Vote 328, 6/16/16; Congressional Quarterly, 6/16/16; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 1214; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5293]
2014: Schweikert Voted To Authorize The DoD To Train And Equip Syrian Rebels. In September 2014, Schweikert voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "authorize[d] the Defense Department, in coordination with the State Department, to train and equip appropriately vetted Syrian rebels to defend the Syrian people from attacks by the Islamic State terrorist group and to secure territory controlled by the Syrian opposition. It bars the administration from using the amendment to justify sending the armed forces into hostile situations and requires the president to report to Congress under the War Powers Resolution on the use of U.S armed forces abroad. The authority for training and equipping Syrian rebels would [have] expire[d] Dec. 11, 2014, or earlier if a defense authorization is enacted." The underlying bill was an FY 2015 CR. The vote was on the amendment. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 273 to 156. The House later passed the underlying bill, which was signed into law. [House Vote 507, 9/17/14; Congressional Quarterly, 9/17/14; Congress.gov, H.J. Res. 124; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 1141; Congressional Actions, H.J. Res. 124]
2019: Schweikert Voted For Condemning President Trump's Decision To Withdraw Troops From Syria. In October 2019, Schweikert voted for a joint resolution that would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "express the sense of Congress opposing the decision to end U.S. efforts to prevent Turkish military operations against Syrian Kurdish forces in northeast Syria. It would call on Turkish President Erdogan to immediately cease military action in northeast Syria; call on the U.S. to continue its support of Syrian Kurdish communities and to ensure the Turkish military acts with restraint in Syria; and call on the Trump administration to present a 'clear and specific' plan for the defeat of ISIS." The vote was on a motion to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution. The House agreed to the motion and adopted the joint resolution by a vote of 354-60. The joint resolution was never taken up in the Senate. [House Vote 560, 10/16/19; Congressional Quarterly, 10/16/19; Congressional Actions, H.J.Res.77]