White House holds call with 34 governors on Syrian refugees

[November 18, 2015]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Obama administration officials held a conference call on Tuesday with 34 U.S. governors to discuss the country's refugee program, the White House said, after more than a dozen governors said they would refuse to accept Syrian refugees.

The administration officials assured the governors that the refugees would undergo the most rigorous screening and security vetting of any category of traveler to the United States, the White House said in a statement.

Some of the governors encouraged further communication by the White House to ensure that they are able to better respond to questions from the public about the refugee screening and resettlement process, the White House said.

(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Eric Walsh)

[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.