[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 388 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 388

 Recognizing January 27, 2018, as the anniversary of the first refugee 
and Muslim ban, and urging the President to demonstrate true leadership 
                        on refugee resettlement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 30, 2018

Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Booker, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 
   Durbin, Mr. Markey, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Brown, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. 
Schatz, and Mrs. Murray) submitted the following resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing January 27, 2018, as the anniversary of the first refugee 
and Muslim ban, and urging the President to demonstrate true leadership 
                        on refugee resettlement.

Whereas the world is in the midst of the worst global displacement crisis in 
        history, with more than 22,500,000 refugees worldwide, according to the 
        United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates;
Whereas, in fiscal year 2017, UNHCR projected that more than 1,200,000 refugees 
        were in need of resettlement to a third country, and this projection 
        continues to grow in 2018;
Whereas the United States resettlement program is a life-saving solution 
        critical to global humanitarian efforts, which serves to strengthen 
        global security, leverage United States foreign policy goals, and 
        support regional host countries while serving individuals and families 
        in need;
Whereas, for over 40 years, the United States has resettled up to 200,000 
        refugees per year, with an average ceiling of 95,000 refugees per year, 
        and on average actually resettled 80,000 refugees per year;
Whereas refugees are the most vetted travelers to enter the United States and 
        are subject to extensive screening checks, including in-person 
        interviews, biometric data checks, and multiple interagency checks;
Whereas, it would be an abdication of United States leadership to resettle fewer 
        than 75,000 refugees next fiscal year;
Whereas the United States refugee resettlement system emphasizes early self-
        sufficiency through employment, and most adult refugees are employed 
        within their first six months of arriving to the United States;
Whereas refugees contribute to their communities by starting businesses, paying 
        taxes, sharing their cultural traditions, and being involved in their 
        neighborhoods, and reports have found that refugees contribute more than 
        they consume in State-funded services including for schooling and health 
        care;
Whereas, on January 27, 2017, President Donald J. Trump released an Executive 
        order banning individuals from seven Muslim-majority countries and all 
        refugees from entering the country;
Whereas, since that time, the President has taken further executive action to 
        ban people from Muslim-majority countries and has taken steps to 
        dismantle the United States refugee program;
Whereas, in September 2017, President Trump announced a Presidential 
        Determination of 45,000 for fiscal year 2018, the lowest refugee 
        admissions ceiling ever set;
Whereas, during the first three months of fiscal year 2018, the United States 
        welcomed a total of 5,323 refugees, in spite of the fact that to meet 
        the 45,000 ceiling, 11,250 individuals should have arrived during this 
        time period;
Whereas, at this pace, the United States may only admit between 15,000-20,000 
        refugees this year; and
Whereas, United States structures and funding constrictions have resulted in 
        lowered capacity and loss of institutional memory and experience in the 
        successful United States Refugee Admissions Program: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) reaffirms our country's proud history of refugee 
        resettlement;
            (2) recognizes January 27, 2018, as the anniversary of the 
        first refugee and Muslim ban;
            (3) reaffirms the strong bipartisan commitment of the 
        United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of 
        the millions of refugees;
            (4) underscores the importance of the United States Refugee 
        Resettlement Program as a critical tool for United States 
        global leadership;
            (5) recognizes the profound consequences faced by refugees 
        and their families who have been stranded, separated, and 
        scarred by current United States policies, leaving many mid-
        process and more with little hope of anticipated United States 
        entry; and
            (6) calls upon the United States Government--
                    (A) to resettle 45,000 refugees in fiscal year 
                2018;
                    (B) to resettle at least 75,000 refugees in fiscal 
                year 2019;
                    (C) to uphold its international leadership role in 
                responding to displacement crises with humanitarian 
                assistance and protection of the most vulnerable 
                populations; and
                    (D) to recommit to offering freedom from oppression 
                and resettling the most vulnerable refugees regardless 
                of their country of origin or religious beliefs.
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