House Speaker Paul Ryan said President Obama is “playing politics” with national security by threatening to veto a bill that would suspend the Syrian refugee program until screening procedures are improved.
“It’s remarkably unpresidential,” Paul told Sean Hannity on Fox News Wednesday night. “This should not be a partisan issue. The Democrats agree with us here in Congress, this should be about keeping America safe.”
Following the terrorist attacks in Paris last week, the House appointed Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to lead a task force of committee chairmen to determine how Congress can legislatively respond to fears that terrorists could enter the U.S. as refugees.
Ryan said private FBI and Department of Homeland Security briefings, coupled with officials’ public comments that they cannot verify every claim, left the task force unsatisfied with the current program.
“There really isn’t a Syria to talk to corroborate the veracity of a person’s claims, that is why we’re saying we have to this bill in place which pauses the program effectively and make sure that we raise the standards so that we can get in and check on every one of these claims,” added Ryan.
If enacted, the bill would pause the program for an estimated six months until higher screening standards can be implemented.
The House will vote on the bill Thursday.
