U.S. Representatives Peter Meijer (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA), Ranking Member and Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability, this week sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas pressing him for specifics about the resettlement of Afghan evacuees. The lawmakers underscored the need for congressional oversight to ensure that our national security is prioritized and that the resettlement is conducted humanely.
Excerpt from the letter:
“While testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this week, Secretary Blinken stated that approximately 60,000 evacuees will enter the United States by the end of the month. The Oversight, Management, and Accountability Subcommittee has an obligation to perform its oversight function regarding the vetting and resettlement process for these individuals. We must ensure this operation not only adheres fully to U.S. law, but also places the Department’s counterterrorism efforts and humanitarian values above all else.
“In order to properly execute our congressional oversight on this operation, we require your cooperation to provide comprehensive information, in addition to regular updates on the status of the operation and the well-being of the evacuated Afghans. Without the proper data that we need to fully understand the challenges of this resettlement effort, Congress cannot pursue relevant policy solutions. And while the Administration has provided some information through previous briefings and Secretary Blinken’s testimony before Congress this week, many important questions remain unanswered.”
The full text of the letter, including questions asked by the lawmakers, is available here. Secretary Mayorkas will testify before the House Committee on Homeland Security on September 22, 2021.
Original source can be found here.
