[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 104 (Thursday, June 20, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4173-S4177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

SENATE RESOLUTION 254--COMMEMORATING JUNE 20, 2019, AS ``WORLD REFUGEE 
                                 DAY''

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Carper, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. 
Coons, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Harris, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Markey, Ms. Hirono, 
Mr. Casey, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Merkley, 
Mr. Kaine, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Reed, Ms. Smith, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Van 
Hollen, Ms. Duckworth, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Brown, Mr. Schumer, and 
Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 254

       Whereas World Refugee Day is a global day to acknowledge 
     the courage, strength, and determination of women, men, and 
     children who are forced to flee their homes due to 
     persecution;
       Whereas, according to the United Nations High Commissioner 
     for Refugees (referred to in this preamble as ``UNHCR'') and 
     the Refugee Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-212), a refugee is 
     someone who--
       (1) is outside of the country of his or her nationality; 
     and
       (2) is unable or unwilling to return because of persecution 
     or a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, 
     religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a 
     particular social group;
       Whereas according to the United Nations High Commissioner 
     for Refugees--
       (1) there are more than 70,800,000 displaced people 
     worldwide, the worst displacement crisis in global history, 
     including 25,900,000 refugees, more than 41,300,000 
     internally displaced people, and 3,500,000 asylum seekers;
       (2) the refugee population under UNHCR's mandate has nearly 
     doubled since 2012;
       (3) 67 percent of the world's refugees come from just 5 
     countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Burma, and 
     Somalia;
       (4) children account for about \1/2\ of the refugee 
     population in the world, millions of whom are unable to 
     access basic services including education;
       (5) 13,600,000 individuals were newly displaced due to 
     conflict or persecution in 2018, including 10,800,000 
     internally displaced persons and 2,800,000 refugees and 
     asylum seekers, an average of 37,000 people per day;
       (6) more than \1/2\ of Syrians lived in displacement in 
     2018, either displaced across international borders or within 
     their own country;
       (7) for the fourth consecutive year, Lebanon hosted the 
     largest number of refugees relative to its population, where 
     1 in 6 people are refugees;
       (8) more than 1,400,000 refugees were in need of 
     resettlement to a third country in 2018; and
       (9) 25 countries admitted 92,400 refugees for resettlement 
     in 2018;
       Whereas refugee children are 5 times more likely to be out 
     of school than nonrefugee children;
       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 serves to strengthen global security, advance United 
     States foreign policy goals, and support regional host 
     countries, while assisting individuals and families in need;
       Whereas, during the first 6 months of fiscal year 2019, the 
     United States welcomed 12,155 refugees into the country, 
     which is fewer than 50 percent of the administration's 
     refugee admissions goal of 30,000 refugees;
       Whereas, at this pace, the United States may not meet its 
     fiscal year 2019 refugee admissions goal;
       Whereas refugees are the most vetted traveler 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 are major contributors to local economies, 
     pay an average of $21,000 more in taxes than they receive in 
     benefits, and revitalize cities and towns by offsetting 
     population decline and boosting economic growth throughout 
     the country by opening businesses, paying taxes, and buying 
     homes; and
       Whereas several industries rely heavily on refugee workers 
     to support their economic stability, and low rates of 
     arrivals of refugees, especially in towns that rely on 
     refugee populations to revitalize their industries, has had 
     serious impacts on economic growth: 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, including the education of refugee 
     children and displaced persons who flee war, persecution, or 
     torture in search of peace, hope, and freedom;
       (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 conflicts around the world;
       (3) underscores the importance of the United States refugee 
     resettlement program as a critical tool for United States 
     global leadership--
       (A) to leverage foreign policy;
       (B) to strengthen national and regional security; and
       (C) to demonstrate international support of refugees;
       (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;
       (C) to work in partnership with the international community 
     to find solutions to existing conflicts and prevent new 
     conflicts from beginning;
       (D) to alleviate the burden placed on frontline refugee 
     host countries, such as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the 
     People's Republic of Bangladesh, and the Federal Democratic 
     Republic of Ethiopia, that absorb the majority of the world's 
     refugees

[[Page S4177]]

     through humanitarian and development support;
       (E) to meet the challenges of the worst refugee crisis in 
     recorded history by increasing the number of refugees 
     welcomed to and resettled in the United States to not fewer 
     than 30,000 refugees during fiscal year 2019 and not fewer 
     than 95,000 refugees during fiscal year 2020; and
       (F) to reaffirm its long-standing tradition of resettling 
     the most vulnerable refugees, regardless of their country of 
     origin or religious beliefs; and
       (5) reaffirms the goals of World Refugee Day and reiterates 
     the strong commitment to protect the millions of refugees who 
     live without material, social, or legal protections.

                          ____________________