OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.
Joe Biden’s disastrous withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan has had devastating consequences.
As a result, a flood of Afghan refugees has resettled in the U.S.
A bill introduced by Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana hopes to give governors more power over the situation.
If it passes, the bill would give Congress authority over refugee caps and allow governors the ability to reject the resettling of foreign nationals in their states.
Currently, the Biden administration essentially holds the power to decide the number of refugees that settle into the country annually.
The bill is called the “SECURE America Act.”
Rosendale said he hopes to challenge this authority of the executive branch.
The executive branch would no longer unilaterally decide who can come into the country for resettlement.
The Biden administration would also have no say regarding where those people are placed.
“Today, Representative Rosendale introduced the SECURE America Act, in response to the mass resettlement of unvetted Afghan refugees across America and the crisis at the border,” the news release said.
“This bill focuses on reforming the United States’ current refugee admission and resettlement process to ensure we take the necessary steps to protect our nation.”
“This legislation reclaims Congressional authority over our immigration system from the executive branch to set the yearly refugee cap and states that the administration may not admit any refugees until Congress sets the yearly maximum number for refugee admittance,” read the statement.
“This bill would also require that Governors receive a 30-day notice from the administration before refugees are set to be resettled in their state.”
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The Secure America Act would then give governors the authority to reject placements of refugees through a veto.
In addition to stripping the White House of its authority over the Refugee Resettlement Program, the bill would also require extreme vetting of foreign nationals before they’re ever allowed on U.S. soil.
“Following thorough vetting, an alien may only be admitted as a refugee after the Secretary of Homeland Security, Director of the FBI, and Director of National Intelligence all certify to Congress that the prospective refugee is not a threat to national security,” said Rosendale’s office.
The vetting would not only seek to clear individuals over whether or not they might pose a security risk, but it would also evaluate whether or not they hold values which are contrary to those of most Americans.
“This vetting would include a new screening process established in the bill to evaluate whether these individuals would likely assimilate to our country, by barring those who hold beliefs incompatible with principles of America,” said Rosendale’s office. “Examples include support for imposing laws on America which are adverse to our constitution, or belief in violence based on radical religious teachings.”
Rosendale said the U.S. has accepted unvetted people from 123 countries and claimed this is a “recipe for disaster.”
“We need to know if these people are likely to assimilate and contribute to our country. This legislation would put the proper parameters in place to ensure we do just that,” he said.
