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[Page S701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 32--RECOGNIZING JANUARY 27, 2019, AS THE ANNIVERSARY
OF THE FIRST REFUGEE AND MUSLIM BAN, AND URGING THE PRESIDENT TO
DEMONSTRATE TRUE LEADERSHIP ON REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT
Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. Carper, Mr. Markey, Ms. Hirono, Ms.
Harris, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Cantwell,
Ms. Smith, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Booker, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Durbin, and Ms.
Duckworth) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 32
Whereas the world is in the midst of the worst global
displacement crisis in history, with more than 25,400,000
refugees worldwide, according to estimates from the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (referred to in this
Resolution as ``UNHCR'');
Whereas UNHCR estimated that nearly 1,200,000 refugees were
in need of resettlement to a third country in 2018, and this
projection continues to grow in 2019;
Whereas the United States Refugee Admissions Program
(referred to in this Resolution as ``USRAP'') is a life-
saving solution critical to global humanitarian efforts,
which--
(1) strengthens global security;
(2) leverages United States foreign policy goals;
(3) supports regional host countries; and
(4) serves individuals and families in need;
Whereas the United States has been a global leader in--
(1) responding to displacement crises around the world; and
(2) promoting the safety, health, and well-being of
refugees and displaced persons;
Whereas refugees are the most vetted travelers to enter the
United States and are subject to extensive screening checks,
including in person interviews, biometric data checks, and
multiple interagency checks;
Whereas the United States leverages resettlement to
encourage other countries--
(1) to keep their doors open to refugees;
(2) to allow refugee children to attend school; and
(3) to allow refugee adults to work;
Whereas refugees contribute to their communities by
starting businesses, paying taxes, sharing their cultural
traditions, and being good neighbors;
Whereas refugees contribute more to society than they
consume in State-funded services, including costs relating to
schooling and health care;
Whereas, for more than 40 years the United States resettled
up to 200,000 refugees per year, with an average ceiling of
95,000 refugees per year, and an average of 80,000 refugees
per year actually being resettled in the United States;
Whereas the United States has abdicated its leadership by
setting a record low refugee admissions goal in fiscal year
2019 of 30,000;
Whereas, on January 27, 2017, President Donald J. Trump
issued Executive Order 13769, which placed a 90-day
suspension on the admission into the United States of
individuals from 7 Muslim-majority countries and suspended
USRAP for 120 days; and
Whereas, since issuing that executive order, President
Trump has taken further executive and administrative
actions--
(1) to restrict the admission into the United States of
people from certain Muslim-majority countries; and
(2) to dismantle USRAP, which has lowered the capacity of,
and diminished the institutional memory and experience in,
USRAP:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) reaffirms our Nation's proud history of refugee
resettlement;
(2) recognizes January 27, 2019, as the 2nd anniversary of
the executive order that suspended the admission of refugees
and individuals from specified Muslim-majority countries;
(3) reaffirms the strong bipartisan commitment of the
United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being
of refugees, including by facilitating the resettlement in
the United States of refugees who cannot safely return to
their homes or rebuild their lives in countries from which
they fled to preserve their lives;
(4) emphasizes the importance of USRAP as a critical tool
for United States global leadership;
(5) recognizes the profound consequences faced by refugees
and their families who have been stranded, separated, and
scarred by existing United States refugee policies, which
have stranded many refugees who were in the middle of the
refugee resettlement process and have left other refugees
with little hope of anticipated entry into the United States;
and
(6) calls upon the United States Government--
(A) to resettle a robust number of refugees to meet its
share of the global need during fiscal years 2019 and 2020,
with an emphasis on rebuilding USRAP and returning to
historic levels of refugee admissions;
(B) to operate USRAP in good faith in order to meet the
stated objectives of the program and to restore historic
levels of refugee arrivals;
(C) to uphold its international leadership role in
responding to displacement crises with humanitarian
assistance and protection of the most vulnerable populations;
(D) to improve consultation with Congress and adherence to
the clear congressional intent of the Refugee Act of 1980;
and
(E) to recommit to offering freedom from oppression and
resettling the most vulnerable refugees regardless of their
country of origin or religious beliefs.
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