[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 154 (Tuesday, September 24, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7886-H7888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REAFFIRMING IMPORTANCE OF THE UNITED STATES TO PROMOTE THE SAFETY,
HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS
Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 444) reaffirming the importance of the
United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of refugees
and displaced persons, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 444
Whereas the United States has historically served as the
benchmark for establishing a comprehensive response to
displacement crises around the world, as well as for
promoting the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and
displaced persons;
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Whereas June 20 is observed as World Refugee Day, a global
day to acknowledge the courage, strength, resilience, and
determination of women, men, and children who are forced to
flee their homes due to conflict, violence, and persecution;
Whereas, in 2018, according to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees--
(1) there were more than 70,800,000 displaced persons
worldwide, the worst displacement crisis in global history,
including more than 25,900,000 refugees, over 41,300,000
internally displaced persons, and 3,500,000 people seeking
asylum;
(2) on average, 37,000 people were forced from their homes
each day in the absence of peace and reconciliation in
countries where armed conflict, violence, and persecution
continue to reign;
(3) 13,600,000 new individuals and families were displaced,
the majority of whom were displaced within the borders of
their own countries;
(4) 60 percent of preventable maternal deaths occur in
situations of conflict and displacement, and 1 in 5 refugees
or displaced women in situations of humanitarian crisis
suffer sexual violence, a figure which is likely
underestimated;
(5) children accounted for about half of all refugees, only
half of them attend school;
(6) refugee children were five times more likely to be out
of school than children who are not displaced, with refugee
girls having less access to school than refugee boys;
(7) 67 percent of all refugees came from Syria,
Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Somalia, including
6,654,000 refugees from Syria alone;
(8) there were more than 13,000,000 forcibly displaced
Syrians, including 6,654,000 refugees, 6,184,000 internally
displaced people, and 140,000 asylum-seekers; and
(9) 84 percent of all refugees were hosted by developing
nations, and less than 1 percent of vulnerable refugees in
need of resettlement had the opportunity to resettle because
sufficient numbers of places do not exist; and
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 serving individuals and families in need:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the United
States to promote the safety, health, education, and well-
being of the millions of refugees and displaced persons
uprooted by war, persecution, and violence in search of
peace, hope, and freedom;
(2) supports those who have risked their lives, working
either individually or for nongovernmental organizations or
international agencies such as the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, to provide life-saving assistance
and protection to those displaced around the world;
(3) underscores the importance of the United States refugee
resettlement program as a critical tool for United States
global leadership to leverage foreign policy, strengthen
national and regional security, and encourage international
solidarity with host countries;
(4) calls upon the United States Secretary of State and
United States Ambassador to the United Nations to--
(A) continue supporting robust funding for refugee
protection and humanitarian response overseas and
resettlement to the United States;
(B) uphold the United States international leadership role
in responding to displacement crises with humanitarian
assistance, and restore its leadership role in the protection
of vulnerable refugee populations that endure sexual
violence, human trafficking, persecution and violence against
religious minorities, forced conscription, genocide, and
exploitation;
(C) work in partnership with the international community to
find solutions to existing conflicts, promote peace and
reconciliation, and prevent new conflicts from beginning;
(D) continue supporting the efforts of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees and to advance the work of
nongovernmental organizations to protect refugees regardless
of their country of origin or religious beliefs;
(E) continue to alleviate pressures on frontline refugee
host countries that absorb the majority of the world's
refugees through humanitarian and development support; and
(F) respond to the global refugee crisis by meeting robust
refugee admissions goals; 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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Levin) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous materials on H. Res. 444.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I want to start by thanking the gentleman from California (Mr. Ted
Lieu) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart) for introducing
this resolution, which affirms the importance of U.S. leadership to
assist the unprecedented number of refugees and displaced persons
around the world.
Our country has a rich history of accepting refugees from all walks
of life. It is the cornerstone of what makes America so special and why
so many of us are actually standing here today.
For decades, the United States admitted more refugees than any other
country. As a nation of immigrants, Americans have always felt a
special obligation to take in people fleeing violence and danger.
But now, precisely when we are facing a worldwide refugee crisis,
with the numbers of displaced people at a record high, the Trump
administration has drastically cut admissions. They are rejecting our
traditions of openness and willingness to help people facing great
peril by slamming the door on these innocent men, women, and children.
There are 70.8 million people who are displaced around the globe, and
the Trump administration has cut the number we are allowing into our
country to 30,000. It is a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, and it is a
moral stain on this country.
This resolution emphasizes the need for the U.S. to lead on the
global refugee crisis and calls on the Secretary of State and the U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations to continue supporting refugees and
displaced persons. It is a good measure that I urge my colleagues to
support.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee of Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, September 12, 2019.
Hon Jerrold Nadler,
Committee on the Judiciary,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Nadler: I am writing to you concerning H.
Res. 444, Reaffirming the importance of the United States to
promote the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and
displaced persons. I appreciate your willingness to work
cooperatively on this legislation.
I acknowledge that provisions of the bill fall within the
jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary under House
Rule X, and that your Committee will forgo action on H. Res.
444 to expedite floor consideration. I further acknowledge
that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill
does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the
matters contained in the bill that fall within your
jurisdiction. I will also support the appointment of
Committee on the Judiciary conferees during any House-Senate
conference convened on this legislation.
Lastly, I will ensure that our exchange of letters is
included in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration of the bill. Thank you again for your
cooperation regarding the legislation. I look forward to
continuing to work with you as the measure moves through the
legislative process.
Sincerely,
Eliot L. Engel,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC, September 12, 2019.
Hon. Eliot L. Engel,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Engel: This is to advise you that the
Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to
review the provisions in H. Res. 444, ``Reaffirming the
importance of the United States to promote the safety,
health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons,''
that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your
consulting with us on those provisions. The Judiciary
Committee has no objection to your including them in the bill
for consideration on the House floor, and to expedite that
consideration is willing to forgo action on H. Res. 444, with
the understanding that we do not thereby waive any future
jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject
matters.
In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar
legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the
right to request an appropriate number of conferees to
address any concerns with these or similar provisions that
may arise in conference.
Please place this letter into the Congressional Record
during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank
you for the cooperative spirit in which you have
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worked regarding this matter and others between our
committees.
Sincerely,
Jerrold Nadler,
Chairman.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan resolution
focusing on refugees and displaced persons, and I want to thank the
gentleman from California (Mr. Ted Lieu) and the gentleman from Florida
(Mr. Diaz-Balart) for introducing the resolution.
Today, conflict, violence, and natural disasters have displaced more
than 70 million people around the world, the highest levels in history.
We see these traumas in Syria, in Venezuela, in sub-Saharan Africa, in
Burma and many other places.
These huge movements of vulnerable people and populations are not
just humanitarian crises, but also strategic challenges to the
stability of many critical regions.
The United States is and will continue to be a leader in confronting
this reality. We remain the largest single donor supporting the needs
of refugees and displaced persons around the world. But, as the need is
increasing, we must also push our partners and other responsible
nations to contribute more to these important efforts.
This resolution also, appropriately, recognizes the men and women who
risk their lives to provide lifesaving assistance and protection to
refugee populations. Without their bravery and dedication, none of this
work would be possible.
In closing, I want to urge all my colleagues to support this
important resolution.
Let me also say, on a point of personal privilege, I have enjoyed
this exchange, this debate today with my good friend from Michigan (Mr.
Levin), carrying on what I consider to be what the Foreign Affairs
Committee is most proud of, and that is we are the most bipartisan
committee in the House and, I would argue, in the Congress, and it is a
great tradition to carry forward. I look forward to working with Mr.
Levin in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume for the purpose of closing.
Mr. Speaker, 80 years ago, at the beginning of World War II, a ship
called the St. Louis neared America's shores. 937 passengers, almost
all Jewish refugees of the Nazis, asked for the United States to allow
them entry.
We easily could have absorbed all these people and more, but instead
we turned them away. Many were taken in by Western European countries,
but 254, more than a quarter of them, died in the Holocaust. We could
have prevented these deaths, but we didn't.
So as we consider this resolution, let's remember the lessons of the
St. Louis. I remain committed to undoing the devastation done to
America's tradition of admitting refugees. Our country's ceiling for
refugee admissions is already at a historic low. We must do more to
provide safe haven for the 70.8 million innocent people who are
displaced all around this world.
This administration's crackdown on refugees is irresponsible. It
leaves a moral stain on our Nation and will contribute to national
security threats stemming from global instability.
I urge my colleagues to support the good, bipartisan measure offered
by Mr. Lieu and Mr. Diaz-Balart.
I echo my colleague from Texas Mr. McCaul's remarks. It is a deep
honor to be here debating this measure with Mr. McCaul, and I look
forward to working with him in a bipartisan manner that is really a
unique and a proud tradition of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 444, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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