WASHINGTON - House Speaker Paul Ryan says Muslim Americans who serve in the U.S. military should be honored - "period" - and that he would reject any proposal that would require a religious test for entry into the U.S.

The House speaker made the comments in a written statement issued Sunday. He also praised a U.S. Army captain, Humayun Khan, who was killed in a suicide bombing in Iraq in 2004.

The captain's parents have come under criticism from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump for speaking out against his candidacy during the Democratic National Convention.

The bereaved father, Khizr Khan, has called on Ryan to withdraw his support for Trump after the candidate's remarks about the family.

In his statement, Ryan doesn't mention Trump but says Capt. Khan's sacrifice and that of his parents should always be honored.