US House Speaker Wants Pause Of Syrian Resettlement

“Fear is important but it’s also important to have our political leaders like Gov. Walker inform the public so that we are making decisions based on facts and not fear and xenophobia”, said ACLU Executive Director Joshua Decker.

Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan says he is disheartened by Governor Kasich and other leaders, saying they lack courage needed to stick to American values.

The White House has held a 90-minute conference call with governors about plans to increase the number of refugees accepted in the United States after governors raised concerns related to last week’s attacks in Paris.

“We will provide refuge to at least 10,000 refugees fleeing violence in Syria over the next year after they pass the highest security checks”, said Obama on his official Twitter account.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Republican efforts to heighten the screening of refugees will not discriminate against Muslims, who are in the vast majority in Syria and Iraq.

Some Democrats shared similar views, including senior Senator Chuck Schumer who acknowledged it might be “necessary” to pause the program amid a review.

LISA DESJARDINS: In a blog post late today, the White House said it continues to look for ways to improve the vetting of Syrian refugees.

The letter also urges the president to engage in a comprehensive strategy with our allies to defeat the Islamic State.

“My concern there is there are certain gaps … in the data available to us”, Comey said at the time.

McCaul said legislation was necessary because the president was unlikely to halt the program.

That process takes anywhere from 18 to 24 months before a refugee from any part of the world is allowed to enter the United States.

Other Mississippi House members echoed those sentiments, and noted that one of the Paris attackers was found with a Syrian passport.

He said he was in contact with Ryan and the White House on how to proceed.

Still, Obama has insisted on carrying out the resettlement plan, though Sen.

Republicans may try to stop Syrian refugees from entering the U.S.by attaching a new policy to a big budget deal lawmakers must pass by December 11th.

“The problem is, we don’t (know) if they’re Christian or not”, Trump said in excerpts released by ABC, adding that the screening process needs to be “superior”.

And we don’t fault former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a GOP presidential candidate, for believing Christians should be given special consideration in immigration.

“The idea that we’d turn away refugees because of religion is a new low”, she tweeted.

Millions of Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries and to Europe. “Until we can properly vet Syrian refugees and prevent what happened in Paris from happening here, we cannot and should not commit to taking additional refugees”.

Several governors expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to better understand the process and have their issues addressed directly by representatives of the agencies responsible for the refugee and screening programs.