US Republicans balk at Syria refugee program

WASHINGTON: Top US Republicans demanded a halt Tuesday to a White House program to resettle Syrian refugees in America following the Paris attacks, a move that threatens to dislodge longstanding bipartisan humanitarian cooperation.

House Speaker Paul Ryan called for a "pause" in the scheme, joining more than half of state governors who have urged President Barack Obama in recent days to suspend the program and fully review the vetting process to ensure that would-be attackers do not slip into the country as refugees.