[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 32 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 32

 Recognizing January 27, 2019, 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 28, 2019

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing January 27, 2019, 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 25,400,000 refugees worldwide, according to 
        estimates from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
        (referred to in this Resolution as ``UNHCR'');
Whereas UNHCR estimated that nearly 1,200,000 refugees were in need of 
        resettlement to a third country in 2018, and this projection continues 
        to grow in 2019;
Whereas the United States Refugee Admissions Program (referred to in this 
        Resolution as ``USRAP'') is a life-saving solution critical to global 
        humanitarian efforts, which--

    (1) strengthens global security;

    (2) leverages United States foreign policy goals;

    (3) supports regional host countries; and

    (4) serves individuals and families in need;

Whereas the United States has been a global leader in--

    (1) responding to displacement crises around the world; and

    (2) promoting the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and 
displaced persons;

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 the United States leverages resettlement to encourage other countries--

    (1) to keep their doors open to refugees;

    (2) to allow refugee children to attend school; and

    (3) to allow refugee adults to work;

Whereas refugees contribute to their communities by starting businesses, paying 
        taxes, sharing their cultural traditions, and being good neighbors;
Whereas refugees contribute more to society than they consume in State-funded 
        services, including costs relating to schooling and health care;
Whereas, for more than 40 years the United States resettled up to 200,000 
        refugees per year, with an average ceiling of 95,000 refugees per year, 
        and an average of 80,000 refugees per year actually being resettled in 
        the United States;
Whereas the United States has abdicated its leadership by setting a record low 
        refugee admissions goal in fiscal year 2019 of 30,000;
Whereas, on January 27, 2017, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 
        13769, which placed a 90-day suspension on the admission into the United 
        States of individuals from 7 Muslim-majority countries and suspended 
        USRAP for 120 days; and
Whereas, since issuing that Executive order, President Trump has taken further 
        executive and administrative actions--

    (1) to restrict the admission into the United States of people from 
certain Muslim-majority countries; and

    (2) to dismantle USRAP, which has lowered the capacity of, and 
diminished the institutional memory and experience in, USRAP:

Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) reaffirms our Nation's proud history of refugee 
        resettlement;
            (2) recognizes January 27, 2019, as the second anniversary 
        of the Executive order that suspended the admission of refugees 
        and individuals from specified Muslim-majority countries;
            (3) reaffirms the strong bipartisan commitment of the 
        United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of 
        refugees, including by facilitating the resettlement in the 
        United States of refugees who cannot safely return to their 
        homes or rebuild their lives in countries from which they fled 
        to preserve their lives;
            (4) emphasizes the importance of USRAP 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 existing United States refugee policies, which have 
        stranded many refugees who were in the middle of the refugee 
        resettlement process and have left other refugees with little 
        hope of anticipated entry into the United States; and
            (6) calls upon the United States Government--
                    (A) to resettle a robust number of refugees to meet 
                its share of the global need during fiscal years 2019 
                and 2020, with an emphasis on rebuilding USRAP and 
                returning to historic levels of refugee admissions;
                    (B) to operate USRAP in good faith in order to meet 
                the stated objectives of the program and to restore 
                historic levels of refugee arrivals;
                    (C) to uphold its international leadership role in 
                responding to displacement crises with humanitarian 
                assistance and protection of the most vulnerable 
                populations;
                    (D) to improve consultation with Congress and 
                adherence to the clear congressional intent of the 
                Refugee Act of 1980; and
                    (E) 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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