During the vice presidential debate on Tuesday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) forced Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) to defend his attempt to block funding for Syrian refugees, noting that a federal appeals court panel on Monday ruled that Pence’s decision was “discriminatory.”
While addressing his plan to address terrorism, Pence noted that he and Donald Trump are “committed to suspending the Syrian refugee program and programs in immigration from areas of the world that have been compromised by terrorism.”
“Let’s make sure we’re putting the safety and security of the American people first, instead of Hillary Clinton expanding the Syrian refugee program,” Pence said.
At that point, Kaine jumped in: “Or instead of you violating the Constitution, by blocking people based on their national origin rather than whether they’re dangerous.”
“That’s absolutely false,” Pence hit back.
Kaine noted the recent appeals court ruling and contrasted his approach from that of Pence and Trump.
“We have different views on refugee issues on immigration. Hillary and I want enforcement based on, ‘Are people dangerous?'” Kaine said. “Donald Trump said keep them out if they’re Muslim. Mike Pence put a program in place to keep them out if they’re from Syria, and yesterday an appellate court with three Republican judges struck down the Pence plan and said it was discriminatory.”
Pence tried to defend his attempt to block refugees from Syria, saying, “those judges said it’s because there wasn’t any evidence yet, that — that ISIS had infiltrated the United States. Well, Germany just arrested three Syrian refugees.”
“If you’re going to be critical of me on that, that’s fair game,” Pence continued. “After two Syrian refugees were involved in the attack in Paris that is called Paris’ 9/11, as governor of the state of Indiana I have no higher priority than the safety and security of the people of my state, so you bet I suspended that program, and I stand by that decision.”
Pence later said that U.S. officials “said we can’t know for certain who these people are coming from Syria.”
“You’ve got to err on the side of the safety and security of the American people, senator,” he said.
“By trashing all Syrians or trashing Muslims?” Kaine asked.
