More than two dozen Republican senators including Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson are calling a potential proposal by President Biden to accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza a national security risk, following the administration’s acknowledgment that discussions are underway to help Palestinians in the U.S. bring families over from the region. In a letter sent to president Biden the senators state they are not confident the administration can adequately vet a “high-risk” population for terrorist ties and sympathies before admitting them into the United States. While Biden has maintained robust military support for Israel, he is under immense political pressure from Democrats and progressives amid increasingly violent protests across the U.S. to do more to hold Israel to account for a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The GOP senators call for Biden to prioritize securing the release of American hostages over accepting Palestinians as refugees. Meanwhile, Johnson says he believes the only solution is eliminating Hamas. Johnson made the comments on AM 1170s Between the Lines program.
