[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

                                 ______
                                 

 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.

[[Page S3653]]

  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

[[Page S3654]]

     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.

                          ____________________