U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan calls for pause on accepting Syrian refugees

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan.

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) appeared at a press conference with Republican leaders condemning the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris and reaffirming the House’s commitment to eradicating ISIS. Below are Speaker Ryan’s remarks.

"What happened in Paris is pure evil. And I simply want to say our prayers and our condolences go out to the victims' families and to the French people.

"It’s clear that this was an act of war, and that the world needs American leadership.

"The national defense bill that I will sign later today requires the president to come up with a plan for defeating ISIS—not just containing, but defeating ISIS. A containment plan is not enough. That has failed.

"In addition, the Majority Leader and our committee chairs are developing a plan to address the Syrian refugee crisis. Our nation has always been welcoming, but we cannot let terrorists take advantage of our compassion.

"This is a moment when it’s better to be safe than to be sorry. So we think the prudent, the responsible thing is to take a pause on this particular aspect of this refugee program in order to verify that terrorists are not trying to infiltrate the refugee population.

"In the end, the ultimate solution to this crisis is a strategy to defeat ISIS. All of this rises above politics. This is not about politics. This is about national security.

"And so we will invite all of our colleagues—Republicans and Democrats—to work with us quickly to address the urgent nature of this situation."