[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 20, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3652-S3654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 195--RECOGNIZING JUNE 20, 2017, AS ``WORLD REFUGEE
DAY''
Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Whitehouse,
Mr. Coons, Mr. Markey, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Booker, Mr.
Franken, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Bennet, and Mr.
Brown) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations:
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a resolution to
mark World Refugee Day, and to address the ongoing displacement crisis
across the globe. War, conflict and persecution have forced millions of
people to leave their homes, creating more refugees, asylum seekers and
internally displaced people than at any other time in history. Today,
there are more than 65 million displaced men, women, and children
worldwide, the highest level ever recorded in history. To put this
number into perspective--if the global displaced population were a
country, it would be the 21st largest country, more populated than the
United Kingdom.
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The global displacement trends we are witnessing now, due to
conflict, severe human rights abuses, and climate change, are not going
away. U.S. leadership in responding to these crises, whether it is the
immense suffering of refugees from South Sudan or the plight of the
internally-displaced in Syria and Iraq, is critical. How we respond--or
whether we respond at all--will undoubtedly shape the landscape and the
lives of future generations for years to come.
The United States has a long and proud history of providing safe
harbor to the world's most vulnerable refugees--women and children,
survivors of torture and other violence, and those with severe medical
conditions. This included after World War II and after the fall of
Saigon, when we resettled hundreds of thousands of refugees.
At the same time, we take the security of our citizens seriously.
That is the reason the United States has the most rigorous refugee
screening process in the world, involving the Department of Defense,
Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, and National Counter Terrorism Center. The process
includes biometric checks, medical screenings, forensic testing of
documents, DNA testing for family reunification cases, and in-person
interviews with highly trained homeland security officials.
The U.S. Refugee Resettlement program has been and should remain open
to those of all nationalities and religions who face persecution. The
Trump Administration's proposals that would have the U.S. State
Department disqualify refugees from protection based on their
nationality or religion fly in the face of the very principles this
Nation was built upon. They also contradict the legacy of leadership
our country has historically demonstrated, and dishonor our shared
humanity.
It is clear, however, that the Trump Administration is determined to
undermine longstanding American tradition and values, and in doing so
they weaken our National security. As we all know, one of President
Trump's first executive orders sought to drastically reduce the number
of refugees entering the United States and turn away refugees from
Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. This un-American policy,
rooted in fear not fact, cannot be tolerated. We collectively must
reject the misplaced notion that some refugees are more deserving of
protection than others.
Again and again, the Federal courts are signaling to the White House
a real need for the President to immediately rescind his discriminatory
executive order targeting Muslim refugees and travelers. Even while
stayed by the courts, President Trump's executive orders have made
America less safe, damaged our relationships with our allies, and
harmed countless numbers of law-abiding citizens, travelers, and their
families. America is a compassionate nation steeped with a history of
welcoming immigrants and refugees.
I was proud to join Members of Congress who filed legal briefs in
opposition to the President's discriminatory executive orders, along
with HIAS in Silver Spring, Maryland, whose motto is to ``welcome the
stranger'' and ``protect the refugee.'' Recently the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Fourth Circuit provided a valuable check and balance on
the President's authority. The court correctly pointed out that the
President's most recent Executive Order ``speaks with vague words of
national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance,
animus, and discrimination'' which violates the Establishment Clause of
the First Amendment. No American president is above the law.
Turning away refugees--whether they are from Syria or Somalia, Burma
or Iraq, whether they are Muslims or Christians, Hindus or Jews--means
turning our backs on the international humanitarian system and the
mechanisms of stability and security that are the bedrocks of
international order. Refugees remain powerful ambassadors of the
American Dream and our Nation's founding principles of equal
opportunity, religious freedom, and liberty and justice for all.
The Trump Administration again revealed its determination to erode
American leadership with the release of its Fiscal Year 2018 Budget
request. Their FY18 budget represents a wholesale repudiation of U.S.
global leadership on virtually every critical matter, including
humanitarian assistance and protection of the most vulnerable
populations. The President's budget called for a 44 percent cut in
humanitarian assistance--a truly horrifying reduction made even more
appalling given the level of global need. According to a group of
leading NGOs, the human cost of these cuts could be staggering. The
proposed 18 percent cut to the Migration and Refugee Assistance account
could result in over 3.5 million refugees and internally displaced
persons not receiving assistance globally, including about 1 million in
the Middle East and 1.1 million in Africa.
The United States has been a beacon of hope for so many around the
world for centuries, and it is imperative that we remain so for others
in this century, and beyond. We need to be unified on this and the
United States must lead by example. It is a universal human desire to
live in peace and security and to create a better life for our families
and loved ones. We must do our part to facilitate that. We need to keep
our doors--and our hearts--open to those who so desperately need safe
harbor.
S. Res. 195
Whereas World Refugee Day is an opportunity to acknowledge
the courage, strength, and determination of women, men, and
children forced to flee their homes due to conflict,
violence, and persecution;
Whereas according to the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (referred to in this Resolution as ``UNHCR'')--
(1) there are more than 65,600,000 displaced people
worldwide, the highest level ever recorded, including nearly
22,500,000 refugees, more than 40,300,000 internally
displaced people, and 2,800,000 people seeking asylum;
(2) children account for 51 percent of the global refugee
population, millions of whom are unable to access basic
services, including education;
(3) 10,300,000 people were newly displaced due to conflict
or persecution in 2016;
(4) more than 5,500,000 refugees have fled Syria since the
start of the conflict, and more than 6,300,000 people are
displaced inside Syria;
(5) since January 2014, more than 3,000,000 Iraqis fleeing
violence have been internally displaced, and 257,000 refugees
have fled to neighboring countries;
(6) South Sudan has the world's fastest-growing refugee
crisis, which is now the largest refugee crisis in Africa,
with more than 1,800,000 refugees, including 1,000,000
children;
(7) increasing violence in Guatemala, El Salvador, and
Honduras has led to a growing number of unaccompanied child
refugees, who are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence,
human trafficking, and kidnapping; and
(8) ongoing conflict, violence, and persecution have
resulted in the displacement of millions in Ukraine,
Colombia, and the Central African Republic;
Whereas 84 percent of the world's refugees are hosted in
developing regions, with more than 28 percent hosted in the
world's least developed countries;
Whereas refugees who are women and children are often at
greater risk of violence, human trafficking, exploitation,
and gender-based violence;
Whereas the United States resettlement program is a life-
saving solution critical to global humanitarian efforts,
which reflects American values, strengthens global security,
and alleviates the burden placed on front-line host
countries;
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 refugees contribute to their communities by
starting businesses, paying taxes, and sharing their cultural
traditions; and
Whereas refugees contribute more than they consume in
state-funded services, including schooling and health care:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the United
States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of the
millions of refugees;
(2) recognizes those individuals who have risked their
lives working individually and for nongovernmental
organizations and international agencies, such as UNHCR, to
provide life-saving assistance and protection for people
displaced by conflict around the world;
(3) underscores the importance of the United States Refugee
Resettlement Program as a critical tool for United States
global leadership;
(4) calls upon the United States Government--
(A) to continue providing robust funding for refugee
protection overseas and resettlement in the United States;
(B) to uphold its international leadership role in
responding to displacement crises with humanitarian
assistance and protection of the most vulnerable populations;
and
(C) to alleviate the burden on refugee host countries
through humanitarian and development support while
maintaining the
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United States' long-standing tradition of resettling the most
vulnerable refugees regardless of their country of origin or
religious beliefs;
(5) reaffirms the goals of World Refugee Day; and
(6) reiterates the strong commitment of the United States
to seek to protect the millions of refugees who live without
material, social, or legal protections.
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