[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2486 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2486

  To keep faith with the thousands of Iraqi nationals who have risked 
 everything by assisting and working for the United States Government 
    and United States Armed Forces in Iraq, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 24, 2007

 Mr. Ackerman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the 
 Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To keep faith with the thousands of Iraqi nationals who have risked 
 everything by assisting and working for the United States Government 
    and United States Armed Forces in Iraq, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. LONG TITLE AND SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be referred to as the ``President Gerald R. Ford Iraqi 
Ally and Refugee Responsibility Memorial Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS REGARDING IRAQI REFUGEES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) President George W. Bush, asserting a grave and 
        immediate threat to the United States from Iraqi weapons of 
        mass destruction (WMD), asked Congress to provide an 
        authorization for the use of military force against Iraq if 
        Iraq did not comply with international disarmament 
        requirements.
            (2) Passed by Congress, President Bush signed H.J. Res. 
        114, To Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against 
        Iraq, into law on October 16, 2002, becoming Public Law 107-
        243.
            (3) On March 20, 2003, at the direction of President Bush, 
        United States Armed Forces, together with Coalition partners, 
        initiated Operation Iraqi Freedom pursuant to Public Law 107-
        243, and within 30 days the government of Saddam Hussein was 
        removed from power.
            (4) In keeping with United States obligations under the 
        Geneva Conventions, customary international law, and a 
        subsequent mandate by the United Nations Security Council, as 
        the principle occupying power, the United States took temporary 
        responsibility for Iraq, establishing first the Office for 
        Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, and subsequently, 
        the Coalition Provisional Authority.
            (5) As the principle occupying power, the United States 
        enacted a broad institutional transformation in Iraq in order 
        to establish a new and democratic Iraqi Government.
            (6) Under United States direction and control, Iraqis 
        adopted a transitional national assembly, adopted a new 
        constitution, conducted parliamentary elections, and 
        established a new government that remains incapable of 
        establishing and maintaining law and order.
            (7) During the United States occupation and subsequent to 
        the return of sovereignty to Iraq, ``[s]everal thousand'' 
        Iraqis in Iraq have come to work for the United States 
        Government and Armed Forces, according to Ellen Sauerbrey, 
        Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and 
        Migration.
            (8) The ongoing instability and chaos, violence, and 
        ethnic, religious, and sectarian conflict in Iraq have prompted 
        nearly 4,000,000 Iraqis to become refugees or internally 
        displaced persons.
            (9) Iraqis who have assisted or worked for the United 
        States are widely considered to be ``collaborators'' by other 
        Iraqis, and they face a real and persistent fear of 
        persecution, physical harm, or death, to themselves and their 
        families.
            (10) There is currently no facility within Iraq where 
        refugees or displaced persons can register with either the 
        United States Government or with the United Nations High 
        Commission for Refugees.
            (11) The internally displaced Iraqi population is estimated 
        by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to 
        be 1,900,000, with that number growing by 50,000 each month.
            (12) The Iraqi refugee population of approximately 
        2,000,000 has imposed tremendous costs on countries neighboring 
        Iraq, many of which are poor and struggling with other large 
        refugee populations within their borders.
            (13) The United States has admitted only 692 Iraqi refugees 
        since 2003.
            (14) The special immigrant visa program for Iraqi and 
        Afghan translators working for the United States Armed Forces 
        established under section 1059 of the National Defense 
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 has a six year waiting 
        list.
            (15) Paula Dobriansky, Undersecretary of State for 
        Democracy and Global Affairs, announced on February 14, 2007, 
        that the United States intended to process 7,000 refugee 
        referrals from UNHCR ``in the near term''.
            (16) Subsequently, Assistant Secretary Sauerbrey 
        acknowledged that, because of security screening issues, 
        ``under the best of circumstances ... perhaps half of the 
        number that we actually are addressing in the fiscal year that 
        we'll be ready--travel ready before the end of September.''.
            (17) Between May 1, 1975, and December 20, 1975, at the 
        direction of President Gerald Ford, the United States 
        Government and United States Armed Forces facilitated the 
        movement to the United States of over 131,000 South Vietnamese 
        political refugees.

SEC. 3. UNITED STATES POLICY TOWARD IRAQI REFUGEES.

            (1) The United States accepts responsibility for the 
        welfare and safety of Iraqis, and their immediate family 
        members, who, as a consequence of working for or assisting the 
        United States Government or United States Armed Forces, have 
        become internally displaced or refugees, or have developed a 
        well-grounded fear of persecution or physical harm.
            (2) The United States will assist all Iraq refugees, 
        including internally displaced Iraqis, to an extent 
        commensurate with the overall level of United States 
        expenditures and effort in Iraq, and acknowledges that actions 
        by the United States contributed to the refugee problem that 
        developed subsequent to the United States-led invasion of Iraq 
        in 2003.
            (3) The United States will assist all Iraq refugees, 
        including internally displaced Iraqis, independent of United 
        States efforts to pacify Iraq and assist Iraq with its 
        redevelopment and reconstruction.

SEC. 4. PRESIDENTIAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
an unclassified report on--
            (1) the number of Iraqis (including immediate family 
        members), who, since March 20, 2003, have been employed in Iraq 
        by the United States Government or United States Armed Forces, 
        and in particular--
                    (A) the number of whom have become internally 
                displaced within Iraq or have become refugees in 
                another country, or have sought to enter, or resettle 
                in, the United States; and
                    (B) the number of whom have been killed as a direct 
                or indirect consequence of their employment by or 
                assistance to the United States Government or United 
                States Armed Forces;
            (2) the number of Iraqis (including immediate family 
        members), who, since March 20, 2003, have been employed in Iraq 
        by countries participating in coalition efforts in Iraq, and in 
        particular--
                    (A) the number of whom have become internally 
                displaced within Iraq or have become refugees in 
                another country, or have sought to enter, or resettle 
                in, the United States; and
                    (B) the number of whom have been killed as a direct 
                or indirect consequence of their employment by or 
                assistance to countries participating in coalition 
                efforts in Iraq;
            (3) the number of Iraqis (including immediate family 
        members), who, since March 20, 2003, have been employed by 
        United States-hired or coalition-hired contractors supporting 
        coalition efforts in Iraq, and in particular--
                    (A) the number of whom have become internally 
                displaced within Iraq or have become refugees in 
                another country, or have sought to enter, or resettle 
                in, the United States; and
                    (B) the number of whom have been killed as a direct 
                or indirect consequence of their employment by or 
                assistance to contractors participating in coalition 
                efforts in Iraq; and
            (4) the number of Iraqis (including immediate family 
        members) who, since March 20, 2003, have been employed by 
        United States or international nongovernmental organizations 
        working in Iraq, and in particular--
                    (A) the number of whom have become internally 
                displaced within Iraq or have become refugees in 
                another country, or have sought to enter, or resettle 
                in, the United States; and
                    (B) the number of whom have been killed as a direct 
                or indirect consequence of their employment by or 
                assistance to nongovernmental organizations 
                participating in reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

SEC. 5. PLANS TO ACCELERATE UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE TO IRAQI REFUGEES.

    Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
an unclassified report on options and plans to accelerate--
            (1) the review by the United States Government of UNHCR 
        referrals of Iraqis seeking refugee status;
            (2) the operation of the special immigrant visa program for 
        Iraq and Afghan translators established under section 1059 of 
        the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006;
            (3) the review process by the Department of Homeland 
        Security of pending applications for refugee status by Iraqi 
        refugees; and
            (4) the use of existing Department of State facilities 
        within Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East to process visa 
        and refugee applications from Iraqis.

SEC. 6. PRESIDENTIAL PROPOSALS TO CONGRESS.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the President shall submit to Congress--
            (1) legislative proposals to facilitate the acceptance by 
        the United States of each Iraqi seeking entry into the United 
        States or resettlement in the United States due to a well-
        founded fear of persecution on account of employment by or 
        assistance to the United States or a coalition country in Iraq;
            (2) legislative proposals to amend the definition of 
        terrorist activity in the Immigration and Nationality Act to 
        capture only those groups that truly threaten the security of 
        the United States;
            (3) legislative proposals to amend the definition of 
        material support under the Immigration and Nationality Act to 
        account for actions that may have been taken under duress;
            (4) an estimate of the personnel and financial resources 
        necessary to facilitate, not later than one year after the date 
        on which the legislative proposals required under paragraph (1) 
        are submitted, the acceptance by the United States of each 
        Iraqi seeking entry into the United States or resettlement in 
        the United States because of a well-founded fear of persecution 
        as a consequence of employment or assistance to the United 
        States or a coalition country in Iraq; and
            (5) a plan for the relocation, or absorption into the 
        United States, of each Iraqi seeking entry into the United 
        States or resettlement in the United States because of a well-
        founded fear of persecution as a consequence of employment or 
        assistance to the United States or a coalition country in Iraq.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Secretary of State.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
$100,000,000 to the Secretary of State for each of fiscal years 2008, 
2009, and 2010, for the relief and resettlement in the United States of 
Iraqi refugees, including internally displaced Iraqis.
    (b) Secretary of Homeland Security.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $10,000,000 to the Secretary of Homeland Security for each 
of fiscal years 2008, 2009, 2010, for the purposes of reviewing pending 
applications for refugee status by Iraqi refugees, including internally 
displaced Iraqis.

SEC. 8. REPORT ON REGIONAL IMPACT OF REFUGEE CRISIS.

    Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and not later than 60 days after the conclusion of each of the fiscal 
years specified in section 7, the Secretary of State shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report specifying--
            (1) the burdens that Iraqi refugee populations are placing 
        on their host countries;
            (2) the abilities of such host countries to cope with such 
        burdens;
            (3) the security challenges that Iraqi refugee flows pose 
        for countries in the region and the United States; and
            (4) the steps taken by the United States, such countries in 
        the region, and the international community to address such 
        challenges.

SEC. 9. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means--
            (1) with respect to sections 4 and 5--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
                on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Appropriations 
                of the House of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
                Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on 
                Appropriations of the Senate; and
            (2) with respect to section 8--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
                                 <all>