Ribble, Pocan Agree US Should Take In Syrian Refugees, But Differ On How Many

Two U.S. representatives from Wisconsin agree that the U.S. should take in Syrian refugees, but differ on how many should be allowed.

During an appearance Friday morning on “The Joy Cardin Show,” Republican Rep. Reid Ribble said he agrees with the Obama administration’s plan to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees to settle in the U.S. Some of those refugees, he said, are being persecuted for their political and religious beliefs.

“People have fled to the United States for religious liberty from the very foundings of our country. We shouldn’t be concerned necessarily about a person’s particular religious belief,” he said.

Ribble said the U.S. should instead be concerned about the Islamic State group or a “lone wolf person” getting into the country. He added that there’s a refugee vetting process, particularly for adult men, that looks into individuals’ history and connections.

Rep. Mark Pocan is also for taking in Syrian refugees, but says the Obama administration isn’t doing enough. He’s among 72 House Democrats who are calling on the administration to allow 100,000 refugees into the country — 10 times what the administration has promised.

Pocan, who also appeared on “The Joy Cardin Show” Friday, said the U.S. has an obligation to help with the international crisis.

“Even though I know we’re in a context of walls in Mexico and walls in Canada and everything else, you really can’t completely wall us in during a humanitarian crisis that we probably have been a large part of helping in some ways to create,” he said. “This is just the right thing to do.”

Pocan said the U.S. needs to step up assistance and deal with the crisis in the way some European countries have.