All recent votes 114th CongressHouse and Senate

H.R. 4038American SAFE Act of 2015

3 recorded actions139 of these members are on the 2026 ballotWhat the measure does Read on Congress.gov

Sponsor: Michael T. McCaul [R-TX-10]
Cosponsors: 103 · 102 Republicans · 1 Democrat
Policy area: Immigration
Committee: Judiciary Committee
Latest action: Jan 20, 2016 · 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)

IntroducedNov 17, 2015
Passed the HouseNov 19, 2015
Passed the SenateNot yet reached
Sent to the PresidentNot yet reached
Became lawNot yet reached

What the measure doesCRS summary

(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.

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.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, describing H.R. 4038 as passed House without amendment on Nov 19, 2015. It is not the text of the measure; a later amendment may have changed what it does.

Roll calls on H.R. 40383 roll calls on this measure

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Nov 19, 2015Each bar: ✓ Yea from the bottom, ✕ Nay aboveJan 20, 2016

How every member votedHouse roll call 643

House Nov 19, 2015 · the primary vote

On Passage

American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act

Passed

289 Yea 137 Nay 8 not voting

Crossed both parties 49 of 426 voting members broke with their own party: 47 Democrats, 2 Republicans.

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How the chamber split

One dot per member. Select a seat or a bar to filter the list.

DemocratsRepublicansFilled: YeaRing: NayGrey: not voting or present

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All members434 members

Democratic188 members

Republican246 members

marks half of the votes cast. A party’s majority is the side most of its voting members took.

Cosponsors103 · 102 Republicans · 1 Democrat

Signing on is not a vote: a member can cosponsor H.R. 4038 and vote against it. 1 signed when it was filed.

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Who lobbied on H.R. 403822 organizations

Organizations that named H.R. 4038 in a lobbying disclosure. Only those that cited the bill by number appear, so this is a floor, not a full list.

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGNIts PAC: Human Rights Campaign PAC

Defense · Housing · Civil Rights/Civil Liberties · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code +6 more6 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2016Filing

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ON CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Telecommunications · Civil Rights/Civil Liberties · Transportation · Housing +8 more5 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2016Filing

NATIONAL RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST TORTURE

Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice · Defense · Civil Rights/Civil Liberties · Foreign Relations +3 more5 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2016Filing

NATIONAL RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST TORTURE ACTION FUND

Foreign Relations · Civil Rights/Civil Liberties · Intelligence · Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice +3 more5 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2016Filing

NUMBERSUSA ACTIONfiled by OFF HILL STRATEGIES L.L.C.

Immigration5 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2016Filing

FRIENDS COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL LEGISLATION

Energy/Nuclear · Defense · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code · Foreign Relations +10 more4 filings · 3rd Quarter (July 1 - Sep 30) 2016Filing

U.S. COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTSfiled by ALLEGIANCE STRATEGIES, LLC

Immigration · Homeland Security4 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2016Filing

AFL-CIO

Trade (domestic/foreign) · Defense · Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities · Civil Rights/Civil Liberties +10 more3 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2015Filing

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

Medicare/Medicaid · Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code · Trade (domestic/foreign) +13 more3 filings · 2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30) 2016Filing

FIRST FOCUS CAMPAIGN FOR CHILDREN

Immigration · Health Issues · Budget/Appropriations · Education3 filings · 2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30) 2016Filing

61 disclosures name this measure. Retrieved from LDA.gov on 2026-10-05. Senate Office of Public Records cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from LDA.gov.