November 20, 2015                    Dear Friends, Thank you for taking the time to read my weekly newsletter. My prayers continue to be with the people of France and those around the world confronted with violent extremists.                      this week in the house Addressing Syrian refugees The United States is the most welcoming and compassionate country in the world. While we value helping others, we also value the sense of security that comes with being an American citizen. The president’s plan to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States must be suspended until our top national security chiefs certify that not one refugee poses a threat to the American people. Currently, this is not a reality as several high-level administration officials have recently warned how difficult it will be to screen people from a country in the middle of a prolonged civil war with few criminal and terrorist databases. The current risk of accepting Syrian refugees is too great and our commitment to protecting American lives is most important. Yesterday, the House passed, with my support, the American SAFE Act. This bipartisan legislation is the first step in pausing Syrian and Iraqi refugees seeking asylum in the United States.   We Must Destroy ISIS In the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, I understand how the debate has veered into discussing Syrian refugees but I think it is important to discuss our overall national security strategy. Currently, this administration refuses to even acknowledge we are at war with radical Islam and has no strategy to eliminate ISIS. On the day of the violent attack in Paris, President Obama said in an interview that ISIS was contained and their efforts had been stalled in Iraq and Syria. This administration has consistently underestimated the fight against ISIS and it is long overdue for the United States to lead the world in a coordinated and comprehensive strategy to eliminate radical Islamic terrorists. We cannot destroy terrorism by solely playing defense. In order to address these threats, Congress has passed the National Defense Authorization Act which requires the administration to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to eliminate ISIS. It also includes language that specifically requires a strategy for Syria. Acts of terrorism seek to disrupt our way of life, destroy critical infrastructure, and target our people. Each time they strike, the American people are unified and stand in solidarity against acts of such depravity and violence. Terrorists do not understand our humanity, independence, or strength and that is why we will not fail. The world is safer when America leads and our commitment to eliminate the threat of ISIS or any other terror organization that seeks to do us or our allies harm must be steadfast.                                 STAY IN TOUCH You can keep up with the latest news by signing up for my newsletter and following me on Facebook and Twitter. Please share with your friends and family. SURVEY Do you support suspending the admission of Syrian refugees? Let me know.                                  Thanks for reading,  Rep. Trent Kelly (MS-01) Member of Congress

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