Well, well, apparently this happened two months ago as the House Appropriations Committee finished its work on the budget for FY2017. I don’t understand the whole process myself and maybe this is in the House report only as a bargaining chip, but to assign the Dept. of State a 2015 spending level for the Refugee Admissions Program (RAP) would necessarily freeze the number that could be resettled at 70,000. Our so-called religious charities (over 90% funded by taxpayers) don’t work for nothing!
Although it is too much money to suit me, it is no where near enough money to accommodate 200,000 refugees (or even the 100,000 Obama was yakking about previously for this coming year).
Here is what the report (published 2 months ago) says. When you look at the numbers below remember that the DOS sends your money elsewhere in the world for refugees too, but it is the Refugee Admissions Program portion that interests us in this discussion.
(Looking for an expert on the Hill to tell us that this is what will go in to the ‘Continuing Resolution.’)
The Committee recommendation includes $771,096,000 for Migration and Refugee Assistance. When combined with additional funds for Migration and Refugee Assistance provided under title VIII, the amount recommended is the same as the fiscal year 2016 enacted level. Of the funds made available under this heading in this title, the Committee recommendation includes not less than $35,000,000 to respond to small-scale emergency humanitarian requirements, $7,500,000 for refugees resettling in Israel, and not more than the fiscal year 2015 level of $394,254,000 for the United States Refugee Admissions Program.
Now go here where I previously reported on what the committee is recommending for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (in HHS), also well below the numbers needed to resettle 100,000 or 200,000 refugees.
The committee set the funding for ORR for FY17 at the 2016 level of $1.6 billion and not the $2.2 billion Obama is requesting.
Bottomline, if these numbers still hold (2 months after the committee report came out), the Administration (which ever it is in 2017) would only have enough to accommodate (dole out enough money to contractors) for 70,000 or less refugees.
No wonder the Open-borders-refugee-industry-post-card-dumpers on Thursday, here, are so worried. With no extra cash, can the contractors open all the new offices they are proposing? I doubt it!