The House of Representatives voted Thursday to suspend the American program giving Syrian refugees safe haven in the United States, a move Democrats slammed as giving in to xenophobia after the Paris attacks.
The vote on the Republican legislation, which seeks to impose more stringent security provisions on already robust screening of Iraqi and Syrian refugees, was still in progress but it easily had the required support to pass, with 287 in favor and 130 opposed.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. Should it pass the upper chamber, the White House has said President Barack Obama would veto the bill.