Grassley wants Trump admin to release 'covert' refugee deal

By Jordain Carney - 02/02/17 08:28 PM EST

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is pushing the State Department to hand over the classified refugee deal that reportedly sparked ire from President Trump during a recent call with the Australian prime minster.

Grassley, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to newly minted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asking that he declassify an Obama-era deal for the United States to accept refugees transferred from Australia.

"As I said before, the American people have a right to be fully aware of the actions of their government regarding foreign nationals who may be admitted to the United States," he wrote to Tillerson.

Grassley added that if the Trump official won't declassify the report that he should "please include your justification for such a decision in your response."

The letter comes after The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Trump blasted the Obama-era plan during a call on Saturday with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

“This is the worst deal ever,” Trump reportedly told Turnbull, who tried to confirm that the U.S. would honor the previous administration's pledge to take 1,250 from an Australian detention center.

Grassley noted that he previously asked the Obama administration to declassify the agreement after his staff was briefed on the deal and "it became apparent that there was no reason for the agreement to be classified."

"American taxpayers not only foot the bill for the majority of the refugee resettlement in the United States, but they bear any consequences regarding the security implications of those admitted to our country," Grassley added in the letter.

He noted that his staff was told by Obama officials that the refugees included in the U.S.-Australia deal originally came from a mixture of countries including Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Sudan.

Grassley's letter comes as two top Republicans said Thursday that they reached out to Joe Hockey, the Australian ambassador to the U.S., to reassure the Australian government of their commitment to the two countries' alliance.

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-actio...t-refugee-deal