House Speaker Paul Ryan was on the phone with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly over the weekend, seeking an explanation and assurances that the the department would smooth over the “confusing” rollout of President Trump’s executive orders on refugees and travel from countries with terrorism problems.
Kelly is slated to brief top lawmakers on Capitol Hill this afternoon.
“I had a very good conversation with Secretary Kelly to make sure that we separate fact from myth, that we make sure the confusion gets cleared up pretty quickly,” Ryan, R-Wis., said after meeting privately with GOP lawmakers Tuesday morning. “Clearly none of us want to see people with green cards implicated in this. That is not the goal here.”
Ryan heard from frustrated GOP lawmakers Tuesday morning and warned them to prepare for office protests in the wake of the order, which temporarily halts incoming refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries.
Republicans appear eager to hear how Kelly will help repair the rollout, which initially included green card holders and refugees who had served as translators for the U.S. military.
“Regrettably,” Ryan said, “the rollout was confusing. That is why I’m confident Secretary Kelly and others are going to make sure we have the proper review and vetting so we can get this program up and running with proper security safeguards.”
Ryan said he agrees with the executive order, pointing out that the House passed similar legislation with the help of 47 Democrats in late 2015 following a terrorism attack in Paris that killed 130 people and which involved a terrorist who at one time posed as a Syrian refugee. Lawmakers passed the bill following an admission by FBI Director James Comey that it was difficult to vet Syrian refugees because of an ongoing civil war in the country.
Those vetting problems remain, proponents of Trump’s executive order have argued.
“There is nothing wrong with taking a pause and making sure we have the proper vetting in place so that we do not have a problem like France had with Paris,” Ryan said.
