Remember when Paul Ryan agreed to become Speaker of the House, he said that he would only be if he could be a unifying force for the Republicans? Well, that didn't last long: Nearly one-third of the Republicans in the House of Representatives signed a letter calling on party leaders to ensure that a must-pass spending bill block any use of federal funding to resettle refugees from Syria and nearby countries, the bill's sponsor said on Tuesday. Seventy-four of the 246 House Republicans signed the letter, which was circulated by Republican Representative Brian Babin. It urges Speaker Paul Ryan and other House leaders to include a provision in an upcoming appropriations bill that would block President Barack Obama's plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year. Passage of a bill with such language by the Republican-controlled Congress could set up a showdown with Obama, who has promised to veto a standalone bill passed by the House last week setting tighter controls on refugee resettlement. Congressional aides are negotiating the $1 trillion-plus spending bill, facing a Dec.