[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 98 (Monday, June 20, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S4354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           WORLD REFUGEE DAY

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, we commemorate World Refugee Day. It 
is a day we make clear that we stand with those who have survived the 
horrors of war, torture, and persecution. It is a day when we remember 
our common humanity and the moral imperative to love and care for one 
another. I can think of no better time than now to pause and remember 
those fundamental principles. The rhetoric of hate and intolerance has 
reached a frightening pitch in this country, much of it directed 
against innocent victims of persecution. We must forcefully reject this 
un-American rhetoric. With more than 65 million people forcibly 
displaced around the globe, we must not lower our torch--we must raise 
it higher. Our national values demand it, and our national interest 
requires it. As we reflect upon the fate of refugees across the world, 
we must reclaim our history as a refuge for the persecuted. Today--and 
every day--I stand with refugees.
  Over the past 5 years, the world has witnessed millions of Syrians 
desperately fleeing the terror inflicted by ISIS and Bashar Al-Assad's 
regime. Hundreds of thousands have died, and more than half of Syria's 
23 million people have been forced from their homes. The vast majority 
of these are women and children. As a humanitarian leader among 
nations, the United States must play a significant role in efforts to 
resettle those displaced by this devastating conflict.
  While we must do more for Syria and the surrounding countries, we 
must not turn a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis growing even 
closer to home. In the Northern Triangle of Central America, ruthless 
armed criminal organizations in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala 
brutalize women and children with impunity. El Salvador and Guatemala 
have the highest child murder rates in the world--higher even than the 
child murder rates in the once-active war zones of Iraq and 
Afghanistan. These three Central American countries also account for 
some of the highest rates of female homicides worldwide. This pandemic 
of gang violence in the Northern Triangle has forced thousands of 
mothers and children to flee and seek refuge wherever they can find it. 
I remain deeply troubled by the administration's continuing immigration 
raids directed at these vulnerable women and children. We must do 
everything we can to ensure that these individuals receive meaningful 
due process before they are sent back to the chaos and violence from 
which they fled.
  In the face of such staggering suffering, we must live up to our long 
tradition of being a safe and welcoming haven for those fleeing 
persecution. Since the passage of the landmark Refugee Act of 1980, the 
people and communities of the United States have opened their arms to 
more than 2.5 million refugees. America is the great country that it is 
because of the contributions of refugees, including the likes of Albert 
Einstein and Madeleine Albright.
  I am especially proud that Vermont has welcomed nearly 8,000 refugees 
from more than a dozen war-torn countries. These refugees have enriched 
our communities and are making important contributions to our State. 
They have become college-educated citizens, small business owners, 
nurses, and soccer coaches. Recently, Mayor Christopher Louras and 
members of the Rutland community announced plans to resettle 100 Syrian 
refugees. I applaud their decision, which should serve as an example to 
other communities in Vermont and across the country. I am confident 
that Vermont will prove to be a welcoming home for all of these 
families.
  And we must do more. Last year, the United States announced a very 
modest plan to resettle 10,000 refugees. To date, however, we have 
admitted only a fraction of that number. Despite recent attempts to 
foment our fears, we must not forget that refugees continue to be the 
most stringently vetted travelers to the United States. And we must 
remember that ISIS is our enemy; the suffering Syrian people fleeing 
ISIS are not.
  Months ago, the heartbreaking image of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi's 
lifeless body washed up on a beach stirred the conscience of the 
international community. The image was forever seared in my mind, 
laying bare the human cost of the Syrian crisis. In the United States, 
there were passionate calls for our country to live up to its 
humanitarian legacy. Amid today's hateful rhetoric against refugees, we 
must once again conjure up that image of Aylan. We must reaffirm our 
commitment to those risking their lives to flee persecution. Now, more 
than ever, the world needs the United States to lead.
  Soon, I will reintroduce the Refugee Protection Act of 2016. Our 
bicameral bill would make important strides in bolstering and updating 
our Nation's laws to address the unprecedented refugee crisis we face 
today, honoring our rich history as a refuge for the persecuted. In 
this dark chapter of human history, there are dangerous voices urging 
us to lower our torch. Let the world see that the United States chose 
instead to hold its torch even higher.

                          ____________________