releases: http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397847
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397847 | Blackburn, Sessions, Shelby, Smith: HHS Violating Law By Refusing To Submit Refugee Report | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | TN | Marsha Blackburn | B001243 | blackburn.house.gov | legacy | Our nation is presented with serious economic and security threats emanating from our refugee resettlement programs. Congress cannot, and must not, issue a blank check to [the office of Refugee Resettlement], especially at a time when the Administration is actively in defiance of federal law. Congressmen Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Lamar Smith (R-TX) and U.S. Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) released the following letter that was sent yesterday to the Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell: Dear Secretary Burwell: It has come to our attention that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has failed to submit an annual report to Congress regarding the activities of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), in violation of federal law. Section 413(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, requires the Secretary of HHS to submit an annual report to Congress no later than the January 31 following the end of each fiscal year[.] The FY2014 report which was due no later than January 31 of this year is still outstanding, and must be produced immediately. In its FY2016 Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees, HHS requested over $1.6 billion for ORR. This request illustrates the exponential growth in ORRs budget in recent years. Indeed, as recently as FY2012, ORR received $768,334,000 in funding or less than half of what it currently seeks. Our nation is presented with serious economic and security threats emanating from our refugee resettlement programs. Congress cannot, and must not, issue a blank check to ORR, especially at a time when the Administration is actively in defiance of federal law. We look forward to the immediate submission of ORRs FY2014 Annual Report to Congress. Very truly yours. Senator Jeff Sessions Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn Senator Richard Shelby Congressman Lamar Smith [NOTE: To view the signed letter as a PDF, please click here.] | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |