In the wake of Friday's deadly attacks in Paris, Republican presidential candidates are pressuring Congress to halt the acceptance of Syrian refugees to the United States by stripping funds for the program.
Gov. Mike Huckabee called for newly-minted House Speaker Paul Ryan to step down if he is unwilling to pursue measures to block funding for refugees' resettlement in the U.S.
"If @SpeakerRyan will not lead & reject the importation of those fleeing the Middle East he needs to step down today & let someone else lead," Huckabee tweeted Monday.
Dr. Ben Carson has also penned a letter to Ryan "urging you and your colleagues in the Republican Leadership to move legislation through the U.S. House of Representatives this week that terminates all public funding for any ongoing federal programs that seek to resettle refugees and/or migrants from Syria into the United States, effective immediately."
Opponents of the refugee program want leaders to strip it from a government spending bill that must pass before December 11. The Obama administration has proposed a plan accepting 85,000 refugees from around the world in 2016.
In a radio appearance Monday, Ryan said that the House is looking "at all of our options" to address the refugee issue, including the use of the funding bill.
"We're trying to figure out what is the best legislative option we have to make sure that we can prevent something like this from happening," he said on Bill Bennett's radio program.
Ryan added that he has requested that the Obama administration conduct a classified briefing about the attacks for all members of Congress.
Concerns about the vetting of the refugee population arose after reports that one of the attackers in Paris was found with a Syrian passport.
At least nine U.S. governors have already announced that they will no longer allow Syrian refugees to enter their states.
