In the wake of last week's terrorist attacks in Paris, House Republican Paul Ryan said he believes it is necessary to temporarily halt President Obama's plan to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States. A task force has been formed to determine the appropriate legislative response to the refugee program, and a solution is expected this week.
Speaking on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin called the attacks "pure evil" and a clear act of war that requires American leadership, reported NBC News.
"Our nation has always been welcoming, but we cannot let terrorists take advantage of our compassion," Ryan said. "This is a moment where it's better to be safe than to be sorry. So we think the prudent - the responsible thing is to take a pause in this particular aspect of this refugee program in order to verify that terrorists are not trying to infiltrate the refugee population."
Led by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the task force includes chairs from the Homeland Security, Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Intelligence, Appropriations and Judiciary Committees, and will look at short-term and long-term solutions to the refugee program, according to The Huffington Post.
The task force's formation was fueled by developments regarding the Paris attacks, which killed 139 people and injured 350 more. A fake passport was found near one of the ISIS suicide bombers, suggesting that he had disguised himself as Syrian refugee to gain entry into France.
Lawmakers have not yet settled on a specific plan of action for this week, but are reviewing the refugee-focused bills that have already been introduced, including one bill by Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., which would prevent Obama from admitting the 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year until the administration can guarantee that no terrorist will enter into the country, according to The Hill.
At least 15 Republicans have suggested inserting refugee-blocking language in the must-pass fiscal 2016 omnibus spending legislation, however Ryan cautioned against waiting several weeks to act, according to Buzzfeed. "We don't want to wait that long. We want to work and act on this faster than that," he said.
Democratic Rep. Steve Israel of New York said he agrees that lawmakers should immediately assess the refugee program and take steps to ensure the safety of Americans, but also cautioned that fear of terrorists should not outweigh compassion for refugees.
"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," Israel said, according to USA Today.
