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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.