White House: Congress wasted time with refugee bill

By Nicole Duran, Nicole Duran

Published December 20, 2015

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The House wasted time by passing a feel-good measure to reassure Americans after the terrorist attacks on Paris, instead of approving legislation that would actually make them safer, a White House spokesman charged on Monday.

"I think those who voted to further encumber the refugee process are accountable for their vote," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "And I think they'll have to explain why they voted in that way."

The GOP bill that would boost the U.S. entrance requirements for refugees fleeing the fighting in Iraq and Syria passed with the help of 47 Democrats, but Earnest said the bill would only bog down the already lengthy security vetting process.