[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INTRODUCTION OF THE AFGHAN ADJUSTMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2023

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced the Afghan Adjustment 
Act. This legislation would establish a pathway to permanent legal 
status for newly arrived Afghans displaced at the end of the 20-year 
U.S. mission in Afghanistan.
  Without this legislation, the tens of thousands of Afghans who were 
admitted to the United States under temporary humanitarian parole, 
including those who supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan during 
the past 20 years, face tremendous legal uncertainty. These Afghans can 
only pursue permanent legal status in the United States through the 
asylum system or, for those who are eligible, the Afghan Special 
Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. Both paths have substantial backlogs, 
long processing times, and logistical obstacles for these individuals.
  I became involved in the cause of Afghan allies nearly 15 years ago 
after being contacted by a social studies class from Portland's Lincoln 
High School working with the American Legion to help bring an Afghan 
interpreter to safety in the United States. Those discussions prompted 
me to work with former Senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy to create 
the Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) programs. Ever since, 
I have continued to work to strengthen these critical programs and 
provide a permanent, safe outcome for the brave men and women who 
risked their lives to help the United States. The personal connections 
to our Afghan allies have created a powerful coalition working to keep 
our Nation's promises.
  Congress must fulfill our commitment to provide safe, legal refuge to 
the those who willingly put their lives on the line to support U.S. 
mission in Afghanistan. Following previous wartime evacuations and 
humanitarian crises, including the Vietnam War and the rise of Castro 
in Cuba, Congress provided a legal adjustment process for those 
evacuated to the United States and should do so once again, without 
delay.
  I look forward to working with Representative Miller-Meeks in the 
House and Senators Amy Klobuchar, Lindsey Graham, Chris Coons, Roger 
Wicker, Richard Blumenthal, Jerry Moran, Jeanne Shaheen, and Lisa 
Murkowski in the Senate to enact this legislation and finally establish 
a path forward for Afghans admitted to the United States on 
humanitarian status.

                          ____________________