[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 206 (Tuesday, November 30, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8834-S8835]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4861. Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. Graham, Ms. Ernst, Mr. 
Coons, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Warnock) submitted an amendment intended to 
be proposed to amendment SA 3867 proposed by Mr. Reed 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. STRATEGY TO SUPPORT 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.

[[Page S8835]]

       (b) 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 a detailed plan--
       (A) to prioritize for evacuation from Afghanistan nationals 
     of Afghanistan described in subsection (a);
       (B) to provide for expedited initial security vetting for 
     such nationals of Afghanistan, to be conducted remotely 
     before their departure from Afghanistan;
       (C) to facilitate, after such vetting, the rapid departure 
     from Afghanistan by air charter and land passage of such 
     nationals of Afghanistan who satisfy the requirements of such 
     vetting;
       (D) to provide letters of support, diplomatic notes, and 
     other documentation, as appropriate, to ease transit for such 
     nationals of Afghanistan;
       (E) to engage governments of relevant countries to better 
     facilitate evacuation of such nationals of Afghanistan;
       (F) to disseminate frequent updates to such nationals of 
     Afghanistan and relevant nongovernmental organizations with 
     respect to evacuation from Afghanistan;
       (G) to identify and establish sufficient locations outside 
     Afghanistan and the United States that will accept such 
     nationals of Afghanistan during case processing (including 
     during the processes of vetting and establishing the 
     eligibility of such nationals of Afghanistan before their 
     travel to the United States, which shall include any in-
     person interview required for full adjudication of a case 
     and, in the case of a special immigrant visa, issuance of 
     such visa) for--
       (i) the special immigrant visas described in paragraph (1) 
     of subsection (a); or
       (ii) referral to, and acceptance for resettlement in the 
     United States by, the United States Refugee Admissions 
     Program described in paragraph (2) of that subsection;
       (H) to identify necessary resource, personnel, and 
     equipment requirements to 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; and
       (I) to provide for relocation outside Afghanistan to third 
     countries for nationals of Afghanistan described in 
     subsection (a) who are unable to successfully complete 
     security vetting and application processing to establish 
     eligibility to travel to the United States.
       (3) Form.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
     annex.
       (c) 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 (b).
       (d) 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.
                                 ______