WarSclerotic

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who voted for a resolution recognizing that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is committing genocide against Christians in Syria, said he did not think Syrians should be given refugee status based on their religion.

At press briefing on Capitol Hill, CNSNews.com asked Rep. Hoyer: “You voted for the resolution stating ISIL is committing genocide against Christians in Syria. Yet, of the more than 1,000 refugees the U.S. admitted from Syria in May, only 2 were Christian and the rest were Muslims. What specifically are you proposing to help Christians seeking to escape ISIL’s genocide?”

Hoyer answered: “Well, I don’t think the criteria ought to be on religion, contrary to Mr. Trump. Criteria ought to be on their–first of all, I think we need to take more people who are fleeing for their safety–the safety of themselves and their families and we ought to apply fair criteria. Certainly not based upon religion.”

But those most in danger are Christians. And in fact we already recognize religion as a basis for refugee status. This isn’t something Trump invented. People facing religious persecution apply for asylum all the time. The problem is that Obama and his cohorts insist on taking a vast majority of Muslim migrants over Christian refugees. And Hoyer is pretending that there is no such thing as religious asylum.