House Speaker Paul Ryan on Monday commended President Donald Trump's revised executive order barring travel from now six countries that are hotbeds of terrorist activity.
"This revised executive order advances our shared goal of protecting the homeland," Ryan said in a statement.
"I commend the administration and Secretary Kelly in particular for their hard work on this measure to improve our vetting standards. We will continue to work with President Trump to keep our country safe," Ryan said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, an oft-critic of the president, said he believes the revisions will hold up in court this time.
"I believe the new order will withstand legal challenges as it's drafted in a fashion as to not be a religious ban, but a ban on individuals coming from compromised governments and failed states," Graham said in a statement. "This executive order will help achieve President Trump’s goal of making us safer."
The Reverend Johnnie Moore blamed the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for forcing Trump's hand excluding Christians facing genocide in the Mideast.
"I do not blame the Trump administration for its exclusion … they had the will to help these victims of religious persecution," Moore said in a statement.
"I do fault the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals which has become so overtly political and so hopelessly partisan that the court would rule against genocide victims and rule against justice for them," Moore said.