[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 172 (Wednesday, November 20, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6125-H6126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COORDINATOR FOR AFGHAN RELOCATION EFFORTS AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2024
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 8368) to establish a Coordinator for Afghan Relocation
Efforts in the Department of State, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 8368
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Coordinator for Afghan
Relocation Efforts Authorization Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COORDINATOR.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of State shall appoint a
Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (``Coordinator''),
who shall be responsible for--
(1) relocating and resettling eligible Afghan allies and
facilitating the departure of United States citizens and
lawful permanent residents who request United States
assistance to leave Afghanistan, except that the Coordinator
shall prioritize the facilitation of such departures before
the relocation or resettlement of allies; and
(2) working with other offices of the Department of State,
as well as with appropriate counterparts at other Federal
departments and agencies, to ensure integrated United States
support for such relocation efforts.
(b) Authorities.--The Coordinator is authorized--
(1) to enter into personal services contracts for a period
ending not later than the date described in section 3;
(2) to extend and maintain through such date personal
services contracts entered into pursuant to the authority
provided by section 2401 of the Afghanistan Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-43);
(3) to hire temporary personnel who are United States
citizens, except that to the extent possible the Coordinator
should use Foreign Service limited appointments to fill such
positions both in the United States and abroad in accordance
with section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22
U.S.C. 3949); and
(4) subject to the availability of appropriations--
(A) to accept, in the form of reimbursement or transfer,
amounts from other Federal departments or agencies as
appropriate to carry out the duties described in subsection
(a); and
(B) to reimburse such other departments or agencies as the
Coordinator may determine appropriate to carry out such
duties.
(c) Detailees and Assignees.--Any Federal Government
employee may be detailed or assigned to the Office of the
Coordinator, with or without reimbursement, consistent with
applicable laws and regulations regarding such employee, and
such detail or assignment shall be without interruption or
loss of status or privilege.
(d) Notification With Respect to Transfers of Funds.--
(1) In general.--The Coordinator shall notify the
appropriate congressional committees of each use of the
transfer authority made available under subsection (b)(4)(A)
not later than 15 days before the completion of such
transfer.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate.
SEC. 3. SUNSET.
This Act and the authorities provided by this Act shall
terminate on the date that is 3 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Guam (Mr. Moylan) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Guam.
General Leave
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Guam?
There was no objection.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan legislation to
codify the establishment of the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan
Relocation Efforts.
When the Biden administration executed its disastrous withdrawal from
Afghanistan in 2021, we left behind thousands of Afghans who had risked
their lives to assist the United States' mission in Afghanistan.
The subsequent Taliban takeover put these brave individuals at
serious risk, and we have seen many Afghans who worked for the U.S. be
targeted in reprisal killings and forced disappearances. It is our duty
as Americans to help bring these vulnerable Afghans to safety in the
U.S.
The Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts has
worked tirelessly in 2021 to support the resettlement of eligible
Afghans in the United States. After undergoing the most thorough
security vetting processes, CARE assists Afghans as they complete the
final stages of the resettlement process, preparing them for their new
lives in the United States.
At a time when there is little hope for Afghans to pursue a life of
prosperity amidst the brutal Taliban regime's crackdown on human rights
and archaic restrictions on women, it is more important than ever that
the U.S. fulfill our duty to our Afghan allies and help them come to
the United States.
I have been happy to see that CARE has demonstrated increased
efficiency in processing Afghan relocation cases, enabling our vetted
Afghan partners to come to the United States.
Codifying this office ensures that every eligible, properly vetted
Afghan may be moved to the U.S. and establish a new, safe life for
their family far from the threat of the Taliban.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to show their support for our
Afghan allies and support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
{time} 1245
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
[[Page H6126]]
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 8368. There is one
thing I believe unites us on the issue of Afghanistan, and that is
unwavering commitment to the Afghan allies who stood by us during our
nearly two-decade mission in the country. This bill is about honoring
that commitment.
H.R. 8368 formally authorizes the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation
Efforts, or CARE, which has been leading the essential work of
supporting those who risked their lives to assist the United States by
helping eligible Afghan applicants and their families relocate to the
United States.
By providing a clear bipartisan mandate, along with the authorities
that the State Department has requested, this legislation sends a
strong message of support for CARE's mission that can't simply be waved
away. It demonstrates that Congress stands firmly behind the creative,
tenacious efforts by the CARE office to relocate and protect our
deserving Afghan partners.
These are individuals who risked everything to support our mission.
They served as interpreters, guides, and partners in some of the most
dangerous conditions imaginable. To turn our backs on them now would be
unconscionable.
Let's remember that our commitment is not just a matter of policy or
party, but it is a matter of principle. This bill is a step in the
right direction, but it cannot be the final word on our support for our
Afghan allies, particularly since Congress will need to continue to act
to ensure Afghan special immigrant visas remain available and CARE's
work is appropriately resourced during the period authorized by this
bill. There are bipartisan bills we can bring to the floor in this
Congress to accomplish exactly that.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill introduced by
Representative Titus, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same so
that we can continue to uphold our promises to those who stood by us in
Afghanistan.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Nevada (Ms. Titus), an esteemed member of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee and the author of this measure.
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge and thank my Republican colleague from
Indiana (Mr. Baird) for joining me on this bipartisan legislation to
establish the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts Authorization
Act, H.R. 8368.
Over the course of our 20-year mission in Afghanistan, more than
300,000 Afghans worked shoulder to shoulder with U.S. servicemembers,
diplomats, and aid workers. They provided valuable support for nearly
800,000 U.S. troops who rotated through Afghanistan. They served
primarily as translators, guides, and informal advisers to U.S.
personnel on the ground.
These are, in every sense of the word, our valued allies. They stood
with us through difficult conditions, advancing U.S. interests.
In August 2021, the U.S. conducted an historic and heroic evacuation
that carried 70,000 Afghans to safety along with tens of thousands of
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, as well as citizens from
other countries.
Since July 2021, the State Department has worked around the clock to
relocate U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents from Afghanistan
who wanted to depart and who were eligible Afghan allies who worked
with us.
Secretary Blinken has made this a top priority for the Department and
has said that there is no deadline for this important work. He
underscores the commitment that the Biden administration has to this
effort and the promise of Operation Enduring Welcome.
In 2022, to solidify these relocation efforts, the State Department
established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan
Relocation Efforts, appropriately known as CARE.
CARE serves as the hub for a whole-of-government priority, working
closely with various Federal departments and agencies, international
partners, veterans groups, former diplomats, government officials, and
NGOs to ensure the safe and efficient relocation of individuals who
have qualified to immigrate to the U.S., either as special immigrants
or refugees, during the 20-year U.S. mission to Afghanistan.
The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program, also stood up by Congress
and relying on our regular reauthorization of additional visa numbers
to meet demand, long faced challenges and processing delays, but the
situation changed dramatically early in 2021, when the Biden
administration ramped up resources to clear an SIV processing backlog
that had accumulated in the prior administration.
Working together, Congress and the administration have prioritized
and streamlined the Afghan SIV program to meet evolving demand and
uphold our moral obligation.
In fiscal year 2023, the administration issued the most SIVs in a
single year since the start of the program in 2009. In the most recent
report, the Department issued 1,894 SIVs, ensuring that almost 8,000
additional Afghan allies and their families had a pathway to safety.
Similarly, the State Department has announced the establishment of a
new P-2 category for refugees, in addition to the P-1 referrals, to
expand available pathways for persecuted Afghans. As a result, we have
welcomed more than 130,000 Afghans to safety.
The CARE program has been the linchpin of this work, serving as a
valuable conduit for all of the different organizations I mentioned and
Afghans themselves as they navigate a pathway to their new home. The
work, however, is not codified in statute. It exists across a number of
agencies and programs.
Congress should be unambiguous here. We support this work. We want to
see the job continue, and we should do so by authorizing it as a new
agency.
That is what this bill would do. It would authorize the CARE office
in the State Department for 3 years and grant it important authorities
to continue this work as an identified legislative priority for the
State Department.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, to
acknowledge the obligation that we have, our moral obligation to help
those who helped us so much, and to fulfill our promise to all of those
who stood with us.
I thank Ranking Member Meeks and Chairman McCaul of the Foreign
Affairs Committee for their support in helping move this bill to the
floor, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it.
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Mr. Speaker, for over 20 years, our Afghan allies risked everything
to support the U.S. mission, and we must not turn our backs on them
now. The CARE office deserves a clear, bipartisan mandate. I hope my
colleagues will join me and support this important bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, this administration failed the Afghan people by
abandoning them to the Taliban rule. It is our responsibility as
Americans to remedy this failure. I am proud to support this bipartisan
legislation today, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in voting
for this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Guam (Mr. Moylan) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 8368, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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