House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. arrives for a GOP strategy session with House Republicans on Nov. 17, 2015, on Capitol Hill in Washington.(Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)
WASHINGTON —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and other Republican leaders called for a "pause" in resettling Syrian refugees in the U.S. while the nation comes up with a better process for<span style="color: Red;">*</span>ensuring that terrorists do not<span style="color: Red;">*</span>use the program to sneak into the country.
In the wake of Friday's attacks in Paris, Republican governors around the country have said they will not accept refugees from Syria.
"We have ...<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a refugee situation that<span style="color: Red;">*</span>we think requires a pause and a more comprehensive assessment of how to better guarantee that members of ISIS are not infiltrating themselves among the refugee population," Ryan told reporters Tuesday.
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Ryan could not provide details of what programs might be covered by a "pause."<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is heading up a GOP task force that will develop the details and propose legislation later this week, Ryan said.
Other House Republicans joined the call for an end to the White House plan to bring as many as 10,000 Syrian refugees to the U.S. over the next year.
But Democrats have cautioned that fear of terrorists should not override the U.S. history of compassion for refugees.
"I agree that we should immediately assess our refugee program and take whatever time and steps are necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens," said Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y. in a statement. "But I also want to make sure that, just like the mother in New York who would do anything to protect her child, when you have a mother in Syria who is trying to protect her young child from torture and radicalization at the hands of ISIS, we don't slam the door on them."
The rush to legislate drew some skepticism from Republians as well. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., noted that the hijackers that attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, were Saudi nationals in the country on visas."There is a lot of pressure on Congress to do something right now<span style="color: Red;">*</span>—<span style="color: Red;">*</span>this week<span style="color: Red;">*</span>—<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and I am sure we will do something,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>but I am not confident that it is going to solve the problem," Massie said. "Even though<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a more comprehsive<span style="color: Red;">*</span>check of the backgrounds of refugees coming into this country<span style="color: Red;">*</span>may be a necessary step, its not sufficient."
Ryan and other Republicans emphasizes that the bigger need was for a clear and comprehensive strategy for the defeat of ISIS, which they feel the president has not articulated.
A senior administration official said the refugee resettlement program has had bipartisan support for decades, and the White House is concerned that that long-standing support not be undermined by misinformation about how the resettlement program works. The official was not authorized to speak publicly in advance of a White House briefing for lawmakers Tuesday evening.
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