[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 106 (Thursday, June 17, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2913-H2914]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  1200
              PREPARATIONS TO EVACUATE AFGHAN INTERPRETERS

  (Mr. MEIJER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. MEIJER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the dire situation 
of our interpreters in Afghanistan, where we are over halfway through 
our planned withdrawal. Meanwhile, almost 20,000 Afghans who worked 
with U.S. forces are anxiously awaiting special immigrant visa 
approval, a process that can take years. Making matters worse, our 
Kabul Embassy suspended visa operations last week due to a surge in 
COVID cases.
  Mr. Speaker, President Biden must immediately start preparations to 
evacuate those Afghans to Guam to safely await visa approval. My 
colleagues and I on the Honoring our Promises Working Group urged the 
administration to do so 2 weeks ago, but we have yet to hear back. This 
is unacceptable.
  President Biden ended the remain in Mexico for economic migrants but 
insists on a remain in Afghanistan policy

[[Page H2914]]

for Afghans who risked their lives to help American forces. While they 
wait, the Taliban are hunting them down. Dozens have already been 
killed while bureaucrats dither.
  We cannot abandon our Afghan allies to die. We must get them to Guam.

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