Perry introduces bill to give states power to approve refugee resettlement

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would give individual state governments the power to approve the resettlement of refugees in their states.

The Allow State Sovereignty Upon Refugee Entry (ASSURE) Act was introduced in response to a plan from President Barack Obama to increase the number of refugees accepted into the United States to 110,000 in the next fiscal year. The new target number for refugees represents a 29 percent increase over the 85,000 refugees accepted into the country during the current fiscal year and a 57 percent increase over the 70,000 refugees allowed per year from 2013 to 2015.

The bill would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to submit a detailed report to each state as to where refugees would be resettled. The bill also requires HHS to submit expected costs for housing, education, health care and other related subsidies.

U.S. Reps. Mo Brooks (R-AL) and Jeff Duncan (R-SC) cosponsored the legislation.

“Instead of appeasing international organizations like the United Nations, however, this administration should spend more time listening to the justifiable concerns of our state governments when it comes to refugee resettlement,” Perry said. “At a time when political candidates are talking more and more about transparency, states and local communities are told simply to accept refugees from some pretty dangerous places – with no information about financial ramifications or assurances that these refugees have been properly vetted or vaccinated. Our communities are sick and tired of being dictated to from Washington and this legislation reflects that.”