Kuster was for accepting 100,000 Syrian refugees before she was against it
Before her vote this week to effectively halt the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the U.S., Second District Congresswoman Ann Kuster urged the president to “be bold” and take in 100,000 refugees from the war-torn country by the end of 2016.
Then the terrorist attack in Paris left 130 dead – and political strategists warned Democrats of a “massive backlash” in the next election if they continued to support the refugee program.
‘It is our moral duty… to assist’
In September, Kuster joined dozens of Democrats in signing a letter to the president urging him to dramatically increase the number of refugees allowed to resettle in the U.S.
“The number of Syrian refugees that the United States has resettled since the start of the conflict — approximately 1,500 — is insufficient in light of the current crisis,” the letter read. “We appreciate the recent announcement that your Administration plans to increase the refugee quota for 2016 and we strongly feel that such an increase must be bold, and take into account the enormity of the current crisis.”
The congressional Democrats called for accepting “a minimum of 200,000 refugees by the end of 2016, including 100,000 Syrian refugees” and answered critics who warned the refugees would be a security risk. “This criticism,” they wrote, “ignores the fact that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program subjects applicants to more thorough security vetting than any other traveler or immigrant to the United States.”
"It is our moral duty, as a nation founded on the principles of equality and freedom, to do what we can to assist our brethren who are in desperate turmoil, and are searching for the slightest gesture of goodwill,” the letter concluded. “As Americans and Members of Congress, we believe it is our duty to do the right thing and offer protection to those fleeing violence and turmoil in the Middle East.”
Strategists warn of ‘massive backlash’
Following the terrorist attack in Paris, Democratic strategists presented polling data to members that indicated lawmakers would pay a steep political price if they opposed Republican legislation to effectively halt the refugee program, Huffington Post reported.
Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), former head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, acknowledged the briefings. “And while he didn’t explicitly encourage members to vote for the SAFE Act,” Huffington Post reported, “the implication was clear: you will be vulnerable if you don’t support the only piece of refugee-related legislation that has gotten a vote after the Paris attacks.”
"Don’t let this non-issue become a battering ram against Democrats,” another strategist reportedly told House members.
Thursday, Kuster crossed the aisle to vote with the Republican majority in favor of the “American SAFE Act of 2015,″ despite a veto threat from Pres. Obama. “Today I voted to strike the balance of protecting the safety of our homeland while preserving American compassion,” she explained in a written statement.