[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 27, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H4075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           WORLD REFUGEE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Johnson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Today, Mr. Speaker, I rise to give a special 
tribute to those fathers and their families who have come to America as 
refugees, escaping the harsh political and economic conditions in their 
home countries. On June 20, we celebrated World Refugee Day. Like many 
of our forefathers, refugees came to America hoping for a better life. 
Refugees receive sanctuary in the United States because they are in 
harm's way, they cannot return home safely, and they have nowhere else 
to turn.
  For generations, we have resettled millions of refugees from all over 
the world. They have come from many backgrounds and ethnicities. 
America has offered sanctuary to countless Jews, Eastern Europeans, and 
many others displaced during World War II. We have welcomed people from 
Cuba, Vietnam, and other Asian countries who were fleeing repressive 
regimes.
  In my home State of Georgia, I have seen how refugees have become an 
asset, contributing to the local economy and to the local culture. 
According to data from the Matching Grant Program, on average, 85 
percent of refugee families in Georgia are self-sufficient 180 days 
after arrival.
  Many Americans know the remarkable story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. 
Thousands of Sudanese boys were displaced and separated from their 
families during the second Sudanese civil war between 1983 and 2005. 
They traveled by foot for weeks and sometimes years to refugee camps in 
Ethiopia and Kenya just to survive. Their resilience and hard work 
should be an example for us all.
  Defying all odds, these young men pursued their dream of getting an 
education in America and grew to become productive members of my 
congressional district in Scottdale and Clarkston, Georgia. Nonprofit 
organizations such as Refugee Family Services and RRSIA, located in my 
district, provide refugees with the resources they need to become self-
sufficient and adapt to life here in America.
  Thanks to services provided by these organizations, Ram, a young man 
who grew up in a Nepali refugee camp, was awarded a prestigious Gates 
Millennium Scholarship, a full 4-year scholarship to any college in the 
country. Ram chose to remain close to his family in Georgia, and he is 
attending Georgia Tech and plans to become a doctor.
  So as we celebrate and recognize World Refugee Day this month, let us 
take a moment to think of those refugees, and let us recognize those 
organizations and volunteers working tirelessly every day helping 
refugees build a better future for generations to come. Let us also be 
proud as Americans for following our age-old tradition of welcoming 
those who have lost almost everything, but have found in our great 
country a promise for a better tomorrow.

                              {time}  1120

  Moreover, let us celebrate the generosity of the American people who 
have granted to refugees the best gift of all--freedom and hope.
  So I ask all of my colleagues not to cut funding for refugees just to 
score cheap political points. Let us instead embrace refugees. Except 
for Native Americans, we are all descendants of progenitors who came 
here under some form of duress. Let us uphold our better nature of 
compassion and kindness that lies at the heart of who we are as 
Americans.

                          ____________________