[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8330]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      IRAQI TRANSLATOR LEGISLATION

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I strongly support legislation that would 
increase the number of visas available for Iraqi and Afghan 
translators.
  America has a strong obligation to keep faith with the Iraqis and 
Afghans who have worked so bravely with us--and have often paid a 
terrible price for it. Translators have been the eyes and ears of our 
military, and they have saved American lives. They now have a target on 
their backs because of their service to our country, and we need to 
protect them by granting them safe refuge in the United States.
  Under the current program, only 50 translators a year from Iraq and 
Afghanistan are eligible for admission to the United States. So far 
this year, we have already admitted 50, and 450 more are waiting for 
admission under the program. At the current rate, that is a 9-year 
backlog.
  These men and women are in mortal danger every day and they should be 
permitted to come to the United States without delay. They have been 
recommended by the American military. The Department of Homeland 
Security agreed that they are eligible for admission to the United 
States. To ensure that these courageous allies are able to come to 
America this year, the Lugar-Kennedy bill authorizes 500 visas a year 
for the current fiscal year 2007 and for the next 2 years so that this 
critical lifeline will continue to be available. Under the bill's 
provisions, persons who served as translators or interpreters either 
for our military or for the Department of State can qualify.
  The bill is not intended to address the much broader massive refugee 
crisis unfolding in Iraq. Already more than 2 million Iraqis have fled 
the country, and nearly 2 million more have been displaced internally.
  Each refugee is a personal story of courage, loyalty, heroism, and 
tragedy. We have a special duty to protect all of them and their loved 
ones who are being targeted by insurgents and sectarian death squads 
either because of their faith or because of their association with the 
United States. Obviously, we cannot take all of these refugees into 
America, but we have an obligation to lead an international effort to 
solve this dangerous crisis as well.
  Legislation is essential to address this problem, and I am hopeful we 
can enact it soon. But it is especially urgent that we act now to 
protect the lives of the translators who have served us so well in Iraq 
and Afghanistan.

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