PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 55 - 43. Record Vote Number: 4. (consideration: CR S111; text: CR S111)
Congressional Research Service
Version 81 · Passed House without amendment · Nov 19, 2015
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 or the American SAFE Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill requires that, in addition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) screening, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall take all actions necessary to ensure that each covered alien receives a background investigation before U.S. refugee admission.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
A "covered alien" is any alien applying for U.S. refugee admission who:
is a national or resident of Iraq or Syria,
has no nationality and whose last habitual residence was in Iraq or Syria, or
has been present in Iraq or Syria at any time on or after March 1, 2011.
A covered alien:
may not be admitted as a refugee until the FBI certifies to DHS and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) that he or she has received a background investigation sufficient to determine whether the alien is a U.S. security threat; and
may only be admitted to the United States after DHS, with the unanimous concurrence of the FBI and the DNI, certifies to Congress that he or she is not such a threat.
The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct annual risk-based reviews of all certifications.
DHS shall report monthly to Congress on the total number of admission applications for which a certification was made and the number of covered aliens for whom such a certification was not made for the preceding month. The report shall include for each covered alien for whom a certification was not made the concurrence or nonconcurrence of each person whose concurrence was required by the certification.
People & committees
Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] · R–TX
Legislative record
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Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 55 - 43. Record Vote Number: 4. (consideration: CR S111; text: CR S111)
Senate roll call 4 · Individual votesMotion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S111)
Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (consideration: CR S63; text: CR S63)
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (consideration: CR S63)
Received in the Senate. Read the first time. Deemed read the second time, pursuant to the order of November 19, 2015. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 300.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On passage Passed by recorded vote: 289 - 137 (Roll no. 643). (text: CR H8381)
House roll call 643 · Individual votesPassed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 289 - 137 (Roll no. 643).(text: CR H8381)
House roll call 643 · Individual votesOn motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 180 - 244 (Roll no. 642).
House roll call 642 · Individual votesThe previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H8399)
Floor summary: DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Thompson (MS) motion to recommit with instructions pending a reservation of a point of order. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment requiring the Department of Homeland Security to have procedures in place to ensure that it has requisite information to confirm the identity of refugee applicants; authorizing a comprehensive review of refugees to identify security threats; requiring DHS to certify that a comprehensive review was undertaken; and providing for monthly DHS reports on refugee applications from Syria and Iraq and DHS Inspector General reviews of DHS certifications. Subsequently, the reservation of a point of order was withdrawn.
Mr. Thompson (MS) moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on the Judiciary. (consideration: CR H8397-8399; text: CR H8397-8398)
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H8397)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 4038.
Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4038 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments.
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 531. (consideration: CR H8381-8400)
Rule H. Res. 531 passed House.
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 531 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4038 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Mar 4, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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