House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) told Republicans in a closed-door meeting Thursday that he is looking to address this week the concerns many GOP lawmakers have raised about Syrian refugees in light of the Paris attack, an anonymous source in the room told Politico.
It’s not clear which steps Ryan will take, though Politico reported there are several legislative options to consider in the coming days.
Some Republicans have suggested attaching a measure blocking or restricting President Obama’s refugee resettlement program to the must-pass spending bill due in December. Avoiding a government shutdown over the refugee program — which Obama has continued to defend — will likely be Ryan’s first major test as speaker.
Ryan addressed the issue at the GOP House leadership press conference Tuesday, saying Republicans were working on a plan “to take a pause” and develop “a more comprehensive strategy” in regards to the Syrian refugee program.
“We have assembled a task force to consider legislation as quickly as possible,” he said.
He also gently pushed off the idea that Republicans will use December’s spending bill to attempt to block Obama’s program.
“We don’t want to wait that long. We want to work and act on this faster than that,” he said.
Update: This story has been updated to include remarks from Tuesday’s House leadership press conference.
