[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16343]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, one of our responsibilities in this 
Congress is to protect the men and women from Iraq and Afghanistan who 
put their lives on the line to assist the United States.
  Thousands of Afghans and Iraqis who helped us as guides, as 
interpreters, must not be left to the tender mercies of al Qaeda, the 
Taliban, and others with long memories who seek to punish those who 
helped us.
  Yesterday's Wall Street Journal had a front-page story about an Iraqi 
family that is caught in the bureaucratic pipeline for the families 
seeking safety after years of service and now facing intense threats 
against them.
  There was a recent HBO feature by comedian John Oliver on his 
program, ``Last Week Tonight,'' that, in graphic, satirical, somewhat 
profane terms, captured the essence of the bureaucratic nightmare faced 
by thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan. They and their family members are 
at risk of being assaulted, kidnapped, tortured, raped, or killed 
simply because they were there helping Americans.
  We are seeing some progress. I deeply appreciate the tireless efforts 
of Chairman Buck McKeon, Ranking Member Adam Smith, and their staff, 
the work on the National Defense Authorization Act, which will help us 
uphold commitments to our Afghan allies.
  However, all of us in Congress have a responsibility, and there is an 
opportunity for all of us to step up and help this desperate situation. 
Over the last 7 years, it has been a battle to have America honor its 
obligations by effectively implementing this Special Immigrant Visa 
program authorized by Congress to help those who helped us to escape.
  We are seeing the results of many on this floor who encourage the 
State Department to more aggressively implement this Special 
Immigration Visa program. The Afghan program went from an embarrassing 
32 visas for all of 2012 to an average of 400 each month this year. 
This is due to enhanced oversight and pressure and cooperation from 
Congress. The program is now functioning at a level that almost allows 
us to keep our promises to our allies.
  One thing we all can do is to join me and my colleague, Adam 
Kinzinger, who has been a tireless champion for justice for these 
Afghan and Iraqi nationals, in directing a letter to our friends on the 
Appropriations Committee asking that they, like last year, authorize 
urgently needed Afghan SIVs in the end-of-the-year appropriations 
package that we will soon have here on the floor.
  We have stepped up before, but we need to avoid this Special 
Immigrant Visa roulette so that these people are not in limbo, or, 
worse, resigned to the hell inflicted on them by the Taliban in 
Afghanistan.
  Even with the leadership of the Armed Services Committee, we will 
still fall short of upholding our commitments for a need as great as 
9,000 visas for Afghanistan alone. That is why our appropriators must 
help shoulder the responsibility, and they need to hear from us, every 
Member of Congress.
  It is our moral obligation to take action to protect, not just those 
people, but the security interests of the United States. It is not just 
their innocent lives that are at stake. Think about the trust that is 
going to be necessary when we need help in the future from foreign 
nationals for our soldiers, our diplomats, and our aid workers.
  Let's sign the letter. Let's all detail someone on every staff to pay 
attention to this issue. Add our voices. It is being done by the Armed 
Services Committee. Help the Appropriations Committee in this next 
critical step.
  It should not be left to a comedian like John Oliver, God bless him, 
to carry this banner alone. Sign the letter, speak out, take up the 
cause.
  We must not fail those who are at risk only because they believed our 
promises and they helped Americans in some of the most difficult 
circumstances we have ever asked our soldiers, diplomats, and aid 
workers to face.
  This is a failure we can avoid, and we can end this Congress on a 
positive note that can make everybody feel better as we approach the 
holiday season.

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