All three of the major broadcast networks' evening newscasts tonight covered the largely-Republican pushback against President Obama's plan to move 10,000 Syrian refugees on to American soil. But only NBC's Hallie Jackson noted that the move by state governors was bipartisan, with first-in-the-nation primary host New Hampshire's Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) objecting to the Obama administration placing refugees in the Granite State.
As Betsy Woodruff of the Daily Beast reported:
Her spokesman, William Hinkle, told the New Hampshire Union Leader that she currently opposes letting refugees from the war-torn country into the United States.
“Protecting the safety and security of our people is the first responsibility of government,” he told the paper. “And the Governor has always made clear that we must ensure robust refugee screening to protect American citizens, and believes that we must know more of the facts about those who carried out the Paris terrorist attacks and have strong assurances of safety from our intelligence officials before we admit refugees from Syria into the United States.”
Hinkle told The Daily Beast over email that Hassan believes the refugee settlement program should stop immediately.
“The Governor has always made clear that we must ensure robust refugee screening to protect American citizens,” he emailed, “and the Governor believes that the federal government should halt acceptance of refugees from Syria until intelligence and defense officials can assure that the process for vetting all refugees, including those from Syria, is as strong as possible to ensure the safety of the American people.”
NBC's Jackson noted Hassan's stand thusly:
Caught up in the ISIS battle, Syrian refugees now at the center of a political one in the U.S. More than a dozen Republican governors and one Democrat now refusing to accept any refugees from Syria. In some cases until after a security review.
Hassan's position is particularly salient because it introduces a thorny dilemma for Democratic presidential candidates: do they or don't they agree with the New Hampshire governor's position on the issue? Hassan's state hosts the first primary in the nation and all three Democratic hopefuls are looking to secure a win from the state's voters. Do the Democrats running for office agree with their party's chief, Mr. Obama, or do they trust Ms. Hassan's instincts about the views her state's residents have about possibly hosting refugees who haven't been sufficiently screened?
These are questions which should be asked by the media, if they can shift away from simplistic narrative-setting about this being a partisan GOP vs. Obama issue.
Below are the relevant transcripts from ABC, CBS, and NBC.
Transcript regarding refugee placement
ABC
World News Tonight
Nov. 16, 2015; 6:47 p.m.; 1 minute 49 seconds
DAVID MUIR, anchor: Next tonight here, the growing backlash across America, amid troubling questions. Did one of the alleged attackers here in Paris slip into Europe posing as a refugee? It's fueling a fiery debate back home. Governors in each of the following states tonight saying that Syrian refugees are not welcome. ABC's chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl.
JONATHAN KARL, correspondent: President Obama today declared America has a moral responsibility to allow some Syrian refugees to settle here in the United States.
President BARACK OBAMA: Many of these refugees are the victims of terrorism themselves. Slamming the door in their faces would be a betrayal of our values.
KARL: But tonight, Republican presidential candidates are attacking the president's plan to allow up to 10,000 Syrian refugees into the U.S.
Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas): President Obama and Hillary Clinton's proposal to bring to America tens of thousands of Syrian Muslims is nothing short of lunacy.
KARL: The president's plan says nothing about the religion of the refugees, but Senator Cruz says, quote, “there is no meaningful risk of Christians committing acts of terror.” He and Jeb Bush insist the emphasis should be on allowing Syrian Christians into the U.S.
JEB BUSH on Meet the Press: They're being beheaded, they're being executed by both sides. And I think we have a responsibility to help.
KARL: The president called that un-american.
OBAMA: When I hear political leaders suggesting that there would be a religious test for which person who's fleeing from a war-torn country is admitted -- that's shameful. That's not American. It's not who we are.
KARL: President Obama also said that any Syrian refugees coming into the United States will be thoroughly vetted to ensure that no terrorists slip in. Republicans just aren't buying that, David. In fact some Republicans are saying it’s just not possible.
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CBS
CBS Evening News
Nov. 16, 2015; 6:37 p.m. Eastern; 2 minutes, 14 seconds
SCOTT PELLEY, anchor: And yet President Obama said again today that he wants to resettle tens of thousands of refugees in the U.S. But after Paris, his plan has hit a roadblock, and here's Nancy Cordes.
NANCY CORDES, reporter: The terror attacks in France became a partisan issue in this country today, with at least 15 governors, all Republicans, announcing they will try to block Syrian refugees from resettling in their states. Michigan governor Rick Snyder.
Gov. RICK SNYER (R-Mich.): We're going to suspend things until we get a chance to talk to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
CORDES: He and the others say they'll direct state agencies not to provide Syrians the types of relocation services normally supplied to refugees. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker:
Gov. CHARLIE BAKER (R-Mass.): The safety and security of the people of the Commonwealth of Mass. is my highest priority.
CORDES: That sentiment was shared by more than half the GOP presidential field, who said the U.S. should halt plans to welcome 10,000 Syrian refugees over next year.
Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas): There are refugees that need to be cared for, but they should be resettled in the Middle East in majority-Muslimcountries.
CORDES: Front-runner Donald Trump said he might also close some mosques if he becomes president.
DONALD TRUMP: It’s something that you’re going to have to strongly consider because some of the ideas and some of the hatred, the absolute hatred, is coming from these areas.
CORDES: Roughly four million Syrians have been displaced by the fighting. Applicants for resettlement here are screened by the Departments of State and Homeland Security. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush argued the U.S. should focus on accepting Syrian Christians, not Muslims.
Former Gov. JEB BUSH (R-Fla.): Because they're being slaughtered in the country, and but for us who?
CORDES: The president sharply rejected that suggestion at the G-20 summit in Turkey.
President BARACK OBAMA: That’s shameful. That's not American. That's not who we are. We don't have religious tests to our compassion.
CORDES: The new House Speaker Paul Ryan says he's considering legislation that would beef up screening for refugees. The reality is, Scott, there's very little a governor could do to keep someone from living in their state once they've been allowed into a country.
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NBC
NBC Nightly News
Nov. 16, 2015; 7:11 p.m. Eastern; 2 minutes, 5 seconds
LESTER HOLT, anchor: And that leads to our next story. A growing number of U.S. governors want to close the door to Syrian refugees in the states after the revelation that a Syrian passport, possibly a fake, was found near the body of one of the attackers.
About 2,000 Syrian refugees have entered the U.S. in the last four years, and as NBC’s Hallie Jackson reports, the issue is now very heated on the campaign trail.
HALLIE JACKSON: Caught up in the ISIS battle, Syrian refugees now at the center of a political one in the U.S. More than a dozen Republican governors and one Democrat now refusing to accept any refugees from Syria. In some cases until after a security review.
Gov. PAT McCRORY (R-N.C.): And I think these concerns are warranted in this time as the French premier says is war.
Gov. GREG ABBOTT (R-Texas): I will not roll the dice and take the risk on allowing a few refugees in simply to expose Texans to that danger.
JACKSON: Now with the hashtag trending on Twitter. New questions about whether states are even allowed to refuse refugees.
MARK TONER, State Department deputy spokesperson : Whether they can legally do that, I don't have an answer for you. I don't. I think our lawyers are looking at that.
JACKSON: Republicans staking out a tough position with images of the Paris attacks now top of mind for Americans. But just two months ago, it was the image of this three-year-old Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, who drowned looking for a better life.
Today Chris Christie telling a radio show, no Syrian refugees now, not even orphans under 5 because he lacks confidence in the administration’s vetting ability.
JACKSON to Marco Rubio: Is the U.S. turning its back on people who are suffering the most?
Sen. MARCO RUBIO (R-Fla.): Well, that’s not certainly what we would like to see. I think the most important thing we can do for people that are suffering the most is bring ISIS to an end.
JACKSON: On Capitol Hill, calls for Congress to stop paying for resettling Syrian refugees here. And in the race for the White House, GOP candidates adding to the chorus.
DONALD TRUMP: And we have no idea who these people are. We have no idea. We are the worst when it comes to paperwork. This could be one of the great Trojan horses.
JACKSON: All refugees must go through a security screening, a process that could take years.
President Obama wants to allow 10,000 in over the next year. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton supports more. The debate now just beginning. Hallie Jackson, NBC News, Washington.
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