[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9525]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           WORLD REFUGEE DAY

  (Mr. VEASEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, right now we are facing one of the greatest 
humanitarian crises of our time. The United Nations High Commissioner 
for Refugees has reported that over 65 million people are currently 
displaced due to war, famine, persecution, or human rights violations. 
That is why, on World Refugee Day, we must resist the urge to close our 
doors when the world's most vulnerable need our support.
  As a cornerstone of American global humanitarian leadership for 
nearly four decades, the United States' refugee program has resettled 
more than 3 million refugees. I was honored to welcome one of these 
refugees as my guest for President Trump's joint session to Congress 
earlier this year.
  Bothina Matar and her family were forced out of their home in Syria, 
and after spending months in a Jordanian camp, were resettled in 
Dallas, Texas. Following a rigorous vetting process, the al Sharaa 
family successfully resettled, and they are rebuilding their lives 
while contributing greatly to our country and economy, just like 
refugees before them.
  Our country is a welcoming place where we can both protect the 
American people and extend our hand to people who need it. Let us not 
forget that fact, Mr. Speaker.

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