[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 110 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4746-S4747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 Unanimous Consent Request--No. S. 2216

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I think we are all aware President Biden 
has decided to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan in September. 
Now, some agree with his decision; some disagree with his decision. The 
bill that I am about to talk about has nothing to do with the merits of 
his decision.
  There are about 18,000--not 1,800, 18,000--interpreters and members 
of their immediate families who helped our troops fight the war in 
Afghanistan against the Taliban and against ISIS. They are at risk.
  There was an article in a leading newspaper yesterday. I will read 
you the headline. It says: ``Afghan government could collapse 6 months 
after US withdrawal.''
  These 18,000 interpreters and their immediate families, who have 
helped American troops, would like to get out. We have a visa process, 
which is going very, very slowly. We will not be able to get all of 
those 18,000 human beings out before the withdrawal in September. That 
much is clear.
  Again, my bill has nothing to do with the merits or lack thereof of 
the war. My bill would direct the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of State to develop a plan to relocate the Afghan 
interpreters and their immediate families who want to get out and bring 
them to America.
  Now, obviously, before we bring them to America, those who want to 
come, we have to vet them. That is part of the problem. The vetting 
process right now is very slow. Rather than try to put together a bill 
that would set forth a specific plan to address this--I consider it a 
crisis if you are 1 of those 18,000 human beings--my bill will just 
direct the Defense Department and the State Department to come up with 
a plan to present to us within 30 days.
  Now, my guess, and it is only a guess, is that State and Defense are 
going to come up with some plan to move those of the 18,000 who want to 
leave Afghanistan to a safe third place other than America so that we 
can continue to properly vet folks before they come into America. And I 
suggest we do need to properly vet them, but I also suggest that, No. 
1, this is about right and wrong. These people helped Americans, and 
they helped American troops. And we owe them. And we don't want to see 
them massacred. And, No. 2, if we allow them to be massacred, I think 
it is going to send a message to many people throughout the world that 
loyalty to America means nothing, absolutely nothing.
  So, in a nutshell, this bill would ask our Defense Department and our 
State Department, in the next 30 days, to give a plan to Congress to 
properly vet and allow any of these 18,000 interpreters and their 
families who helped American troops come to America.
  With that, Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask 
unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration of S. 2216, which was introduced earlier today; further, 
I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time 
and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and 
laid upon table the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. King). Is there objection?
  The Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, in the first 
two decades after the Revolutionary War, America was under siege and 
our Capitol was ransacked, but I don't recall in reading history that 
any of our Founding Fathers said that they would flee the country or 
leave and give up on the quest for liberty.
  The quest for liberty requires fighting by the people who have been 
given their liberty, the people whom we have helped to get their 
liberty. You can say the people in Afghanistan helped us or you can 
also say we helped liberate them as well.
  They have been free for 20 years. It seems like it might precipitate 
the overcoming of the Taliban if you take 18,000 of the most 
westernized, those who speak English, and you say: Flee, flee, flee. 
The end is coming. Well, guess what. The end comes quicker if they all 
leave. So I would encourage them, rather, to stay and fight. I think it 
would be good to have many English speakers in Afghanistan. The future 
of Afghanistan could be a bright future, but they are going to have to 
fight for it. And, ultimately, it is their fight. And if we offer easy 
escape and easy plans to leave the country, we are assuring the defeat 
of the people who are our friends in Afghanistan. So I object to this 
piece of legislation.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
  The Senator from Louisiana.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I respect my colleague, and I certainly 
respect his right to object. I disagree.
  We are all aware of what is going on in Afghanistan. The Afghan 
Government is in a bitter fight to the end with the Taliban. And the 
Taliban is winning. And the Taliban is ruthless. And they are going to 
murder these people. They are going to murder them. And the blood is 
going to be on American hands if we don't do something to help.
  My proposal would not have required any of these 18,000 Afghans who 
stood with American troops to beat back the Taliban and to beat back 
ISIS--they stood with us at their own risk, at the risk of their own 
kids, and their own spouses.
  Now, we decided to leave. I am not saying that is right or wrong. I 
have my own opinion, but that is not what this bill is about. And we 
owe it to these 18,000 people to offer them a chance to live. And if we 
don't do something, they are going to be butchered. They are going to 
be gutted like

[[Page S4747]]

a deer--like a deer--and the blood is going to on American hands. And 
the whole world is going to take notice.
  There is right and wrong in this world. There is politics. There is a 
time for it. But there is a time to do the right thing, and the right 
thing is to help save these human lives who fought for America and 
their families and their children.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Arkansas.