Friday, November 20, 2015

In blow to Obama, House okays Syrian refugee curbs


WASHINGTON — Republicans embarrassed President Barack Obama by winning veto-proof House approval of legislation blocking Syrian and Iraqi refugees from the US, but from here the effort may take a different turn in in the Senate.

Six days after the Paris attacks, the House voted 289-137 Thursday to essentially bar refugees from the two war-ravaged countries while tighter entry restrictions are imposed. In a rebuke to Obama that even an eleventh-hour visit to the Capitol by top administration officials could not avert, 47 Democrats — including many facing tight 2016 re-elections — joined the Republicans, yielding the two-thirds margin needed to override vetoes. (READ MORE)