Sen. Michael Bennet (D., Colo.) refused to say whether he supports bipartisan legislation that would require the intelligence community to certify that refugees from Syria and Iraq are not a security threat before being admitted into the country.
The Democratic incumbent up for reelection next year declined to give his position to KRDO NewsChannel 13 since a "vote has not yet been scheduled" in the Senate. The House overwhelmingly passed the legislation on Thursday by a vote of 289 to 137, gaining the support of 47 Democrats.
Bennet’s office instead gave a broad statement to KRDO discussing the issue.
"Senator Bennet's most important priority is keeping American's safe," the statement read. "We must continue to improve the vetting process so that we are thoroughly and rigorously checking refugees before they are allowed to come to our country. There are other, less secure ways to enter the United States that we also must think about. And as we are being asked to shoulder some of this burden, regional partners like Saudi Arabia need to step up and do more."
Governors in 31 states have said they would refuse to take Syrian refugees due to security concerns following the terrorist attacks in Paris that left 129 dead, and over 350 wounded. At least one of the attackers reportedly exploited the refugee crisis to enter Europe.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, is among a minority of governors who said they would still accept refugees, saying not admitting refugees would be "against the law."
Advancing Colorado, a free market nonprofit, blasted Bennet for not taking a position.
"Bennet's positions on national security and foreign policy have helped advance the agenda of jihad and it is raising questions on whether Bennet cares about our safety, or if he cares more about helping the president fulfill his questionable goals," said the group’s executive director Jonathan Lockwood. "Coloradans are absolutely shot to pieces over politicians sacrificing their lives in the name of political correctness, and they are demanding to know where Bennet is on this bipartisan, common-sense approach to this serious issue."
The legislation received a veto-proof majority from the House, and would impose stricter background checks for Syrian and Iraqi refugees, requiring certification from the FBI director.
Bennet has also refused to weigh in on the debate over implementing a single payer health care system in Colorado. Only 30 percent of Coloradans said he should be reelected in a recent poll.