[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 134 (Thursday, September 18, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S5878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN IRAQ

  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 575, S. Res. 530.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 530) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate on the current situation in Iraq and the urgent need 
     to protect religious minorities from persecution from the 
     Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group the Islamic 
     State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the 
     Levant (ISIL), as it expands its control over areas in 
     northwestern Iraq.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution, which was reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations 
with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble and an amendment to 
the title.
  (Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part 
printed in italic.)
  (Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic.)

       Whereas Iraq is currently embroiled in a surge of violence 
     arising from an ISIL-led offensive that began in Anbar 
     province and has spread to key locations such as Mosul, 
     Tikrit, and Samarra and continues to engulf the region in 
     violence and instability;
       Whereas, on June 29, 2014, ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 
     renamed the group the Islamic State and pronounced himself 
     Caliph of a new Islamic caliphate encompassing the areas 
     under his control, and Mr. al-Baghdadi has a stated mission 
     of spreading the Islamic State and caliphate across the 
     region through violence against Shiites, non-Muslims, and 
     unsupportive Sunnis;
       Whereas Iraq's population is approximately 31,300,000 
     people, with 97 percent identifying themselves as Muslim and 
     the approximately 3 percent of religious minorities groups 
     comprising of Christians, Yezidis, Sabean-Mandaeans, Bahais, 
     Shabaks, Kakais, and Jews;
       Whereas the Iraqi Christian population is estimated to be 
     between 400,000 and 850,000, with two-thirds being Chaldean, 
     one-fifth Assyrian, and the remainder consisting of Syriacs, 
     Protestants, Armenians, and Anglicans;
       Whereas the Iraqi constitution provides for religious 
     freedom by stating that ``no law may be enacted that 
     contradicts the principles of democracy,'' ``no law may be 
     enacted that contradicts the rights and basic freedoms 
     stipulated in this Constitution,'' and ``[this Constitution] 
     guarantees the full religious rights to freedom of religious 
     belief and practice of all individuals such as Christians, 
     Yazidis, and Mandean Sabeans'';
       Whereas the fall of Mosul in particular has sparked enough 
     anxiety among the Christian population that, for the first 
     time in 1,600 years, there was no Mass in that city;
       Whereas over 50 percent of Iraq's Christian population has 
     fled since the fall of Saddam Hussein, and the government 
     under Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki did not uphold its 
     commitment to protect the rights of religious minorities;
       Whereas the United States Government has provided over 
     $73,000,000 of cumulative assistance to Iraq's minority 
     populations since 2003 through economic development, 
     humanitarian services, and capacity development;
       Whereas 84,902 Iraqis have resettled to the United States 
     between 2007 and 2013 and over 300,000 Chaldean and Assyrians 
     currently reside throughout the country, particularly in 
     Michigan, California, Arizona, Illinois, and Ohio; and
       Whereas President Barack Obama recently declared on 
     Religious Freedom Day, ``Foremost among the rights Americans 
     hold sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose . . . we 
     also remember that religious liberty is not just an American 
     right; it is a universal human right to be protected here at 
     home and across the globe. This freedom is an essential part 
     of human dignity, and without it our world cannot know 
     lasting peace.'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,
       That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms its commitment to promoting and to protecting 
     religious freedom around the world;
       (2) calls on the Department of State to work with the 
     Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, 
     neighboring countries, the diaspora community in the United 
     States, and other key stakeholders to address the urgent 
     plight of those Iraqi minority groups seeking safety and 
     protection from persecution in Iraq;
       (3) respectfully requests the Government of Iraq to 
     prioritize the issue of protecting religious minorities and 
     take concrete action to enact and enforce laws protecting 
     religious freedom; and
       (4) urges the President to ensure the timely processing of 
     visas for Iraq's minority groups fleeing religious 
     persecution, in accordance with existing United States 
     immigration law and national security screening procedures.

  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-
reported substitute amendment be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, 
be agreed to, the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be 
agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, and the title 
amendment be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was 
agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 530), as amended, was agreed to.
  The committee-reported amendment to the preamble in the nature of a 
substitute was agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title amendment was agreed to, as follows:

       Amend the title so as to read: ``A resolution expressing 
     the sense of the Senate on the current situation in Iraq and 
     the urgent need to protect religious minorities from 
     persecution from the terrorist group the Islamic State of 
     Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).''.

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