[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4298. Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Ms. Ernst) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3867 submitted by Mr. 
Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 4350, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle B of title XII, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. 1216. SUPPORT FOR NATIONALS OF AFGHANISTAN WHO ARE 
                   APPLICANTS FOR SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISAS OR FOR 
                   REFERRAL TO THE UNITED STATES REFUGEE 
                   ADMISSIONS PROGRAM.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the United States should increase support for nationals of 
     Afghanistan who aided the United States mission in 
     Afghanistan during the past 20 years and are now under threat 
     from the Taliban, specifically such nationals of Afghanistan, 
     in Afghanistan or third countries, who are applicants for--
       (1) special immigrant visas under the Afghan Allies 
     Protection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note; Public Law 111-8) 
     or section 1059 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
     Fiscal Year 2006 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note; Public Law 109-163); or
       (2) referral to the United States Refugee Admissions 
     Program as refugees (as defined in section 101(a)(42) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42))), 
     including as Priority 2 refugees.
       (b) Support for Nationals of Afghanistan.--The Secretary of 
     State, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security and the heads of other relevant Federal departments 
     and agencies, shall--
       (1) prioritize for evacuation from Afghanistan nationals of 
     Afghanistan described in subsection (a);
       (2) facilitate the rapid departure from Afghanistan of such 
     nationals of Afghanistan by air charter and land passage;
       (3) provide letters of support, diplomatic notes, and other 
     documentation, as appropriate, to ease transit for such 
     nationals of Afghanistan;
       (4) engage governments of relevant countries to better 
     facilitate evacuation of such nationals of Afghanistan;
       (5) disseminate frequent updates to such nationals of 
     Afghanistan and relevant nongovernmental organizations with 
     respect to evacuation from Afghanistan;
       (6) identify or establish sufficient locations outside 
     Afghanistan that will accept such nationals of Afghanistan 
     during application processing; and
       (7) increase capacity to better support such nationals of 
     Afghanistan and reduce their application processing times, 
     while ensuring strict and necessary security vetting, 
     including, to the extent practicable, by allowing such 
     nationals of Afghanistan to receive referrals to the United 
     States Refugee Admissions Program while they are still in 
     Afghanistan so as to initiate application processing more 
     expeditiously.
       (c) Strategy.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in 
     coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the 
     heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, 
     shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a 
     strategy for the safe processing abroad of nationals of 
     Afghanistan described in subsection (a).
       (2) Elements.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include steps to be taken by the United States Government to 
     fulfill each requirement under subsection (b).
       (3) Form.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
     annex.
       (d) Monthly Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and monthly thereafter until 
     December 31, 2022, the Secretary of State, in coordination 
     with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of 
     other relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall submit 
     to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on efforts 
     to support nationals of Afghanistan described in subsection 
     (a).
       (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) The number of nationals of Afghanistan referred to the 
     United States Refugee Admissions Program as Priority 1 and 
     Priority 2 refugees since August 29, 2021.
       (B) An assessment of whether each such refugee--
       (i) remains in Afghanistan; or
       (ii) is outside Afghanistan.
       (C) With respect to nationals of Afghanistan who have 
     applied for referral to the United States Refugee Program, 
     the number applications that--
       (i) have been approved;
       (ii) have been denied; and
       (iii) are pending adjudication.
       (D) The number of nationals of Afghanistan who have pending 
     applications for special immigrant visas described in 
     subsection (a)(1), disaggregated by the special immigrant 
     visa processing steps completed with respect to such 
     individuals.
       (E) A description of the measures taken to implement the 
     strategy under subsection (c).
       (3) Form.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
     annex.
       (e) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
     the Judiciary, the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs; and the Committee on Armed Services of 
     the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on the 
     Judiciary, the Committee on Homeland Security, and the 
     Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
                                 ______