,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #ede  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march    
#ag1 #bjbj,mr4 ,coons 7for himself and  
,mr4 ,lankford7 submitted the following 
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,relations       
,,resolution  ,commemorating ,march #ag1
 #bjbj1 as the #djth anniversary of the 
,refugee ,act of #aihj1 including the   
amendments made by that ,act1 at a time 
when the need for bipartisan support of 
the refugee resettlement program of the 
,united ,states is critical to the      
survival of the program4  ,whereas1     
after receiving bipartisan support in   
both the ,senate and the ,house of      
,representatives1 the ,refugee ,act of  
#aihj1 ,s4 #fdc 7#ifth ,congress71      
including the amendments made by that   
,act1 was signed into law on ,march #ag1
 #aihj1 to provide a domestic framework 
for the ,united ,states to align with   
the international obligations of the    
,united ,states1 including under-- 7#a7 

the ,convention ,relating to the ,status
 of ,refugees1 done at ,geneva ,july    
#bh1 #aiea 7as made applicable by the   
,protocol ,relating to the ,status of   
,refugees1 done at ,new ,york ,january  
#ca1 #aifg 7#ai ,u4,s4,t4 #fbbc71 to    
which the ,united ,states is a party72  
7#b7 the ,convention against ,torture   
and ,other ,cruel1 ,inhuman or          
,degrading ,treatment or ,punishment1   
done at ,new ,york ,december #aj1 #aihd1
 to which the ,united ,states is a      
party2  7#c7 the ,convention ,relating  
to the ,status of ,stateless ,persons1  
done at ,new ,york ,september #bh1      
#aied2 and  7#d7 the ,convention on the 
,reduction of ,statelessness1 done at   
,new ,york ,august #cj1 #aifa2 ,whereas 
the humanitarian protection provided by 
the ,refugee ,act of #aihj 7,public ,law
 #if-bab2 #id ,stat4 #ajb71 including   
the amendments made by that ,act1 is    
consistent with the best values of the  
,united ,states1 such as judging people 
not by the color of their skin but by   

the content of their character1         
championing religious liberty1 standing 
up for one's beliefs1 standing up for   
those who are being mistreated1         
championing democracy1 and upholding the
 rights and practices of self-governance
 and free speech regardless of race1    
ethnicity1 or nationality2 ,whereas     
refugees are courageous1 hard-working   
people of conviction and values1        
defenders of democracy and faith1 and   
people who face persecution on account  
of race1 religion1 nationality1         
membership in a particular social group1
 or political opinion1 and in some      
cases1 face persecution because they    
allied with the ,united ,states in      
crucial missions1 such as in ,vietnam1  
,cambodia1 ,laos1 ,iraq1 and            
,afghanistan2 ,whereas the refugee      
resettlement program of the ,united     
,states authorized under the ,refugee   
,act of #aihj 7,public ,law #if-bab2 #id
 ,stat4 #ajb71 including the amendments 
made by that ,act1 is a life-saving     

solution critical to global humanitarian
 efforts that-- 7#a7 strengthens global 
security2  7#b7 advances the foreign    
policy goals and national security      
interests of the ,united ,states2  7#c7 
supports countries that host hundreds of
 thousands1 or even millions1 of        
refugees2  7#d7 collaborates with and   
supports the efforts of the             
international community to support and  
resettle vulnerable populations2  7#e7  
stabilizes sensitive conflicts and      
regions around the globe2 and  7#f7     
encourages other countries to contribute
 through humanitarian support1          
resettlement1 and finding strategies to 
address existing conflict and prevent   
future conflict2 ,whereas the refugee   
resettlement program provides protection
 and resettlement opportunities to      
individuals from ,iraq and ,afghanistan 
who worked side by side with members of 
the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces and  
peace builders2 ,whereas the ,department
 of ,state acknowledged the partnership 

between the admission of refugees and   
the protection of inherent human rights 
in the #bjah ,report on ,international  
,religious ,freedom and the #bjah       
,country ,reports on ,human ,rights     
,practices2 ,whereas refugees are major 
contributors to local economies1 pay an 
average of #ba1jjj more in taxes than   
they receive in benefits1 and revitalize
 cities and towns by offsetting         
population decline and boosting economic
 growth throughout the ,united ,states  
by opening businesses1 paying taxes1 and
 buying homes2 ,whereas several         
industries rely heavily on refugee      
workers to support the economic         
stability of those industries1 and low  
rates of arrivals of refugees1          
especially in towns that rely on refugee
 populations to revitalize the          
industries in those towns1 have had     
serious effects on economic growth2     
,whereas1 through the refugee           
resettlement program1 the ,united       
,states has proudly pursued strategic   

and humanitarian interests1 resettling  
more than #c1jjj1jjj refugees in #di    
,states over more than #dj years1 and   
the program has received support from   
,republican and ,democratic             
,presidential administrations and       
bipartisan congressional support1 as    
,presidents have set1 through           
,presidential determinations1 an average
 annual refugee admissions goal of      
#ie1jjj refugees2 ,whereas1 in          
collaboration with the ,department of   
,state and through the ,office of       
,refugee ,resettlement1 faith           
communities1 civic leaders1 local social
 service agencies1 employers1 and       
refugee resettlement agencies provide   
essential services and welcome refugees 
who bring new life and vitality to local
 communities2 ,whereas1 in #bjbj1 the   
world is in the midst of the worst      
global displacement crisis in history1  
with more than #gj1hjj1jjj forcibly     
displaced persons1 including more than  
#be1ijj1jjj refugees worldwide1 more    

than  of whom are children1 according to
 estimates from the ,united ,nations    
,high ,commissioner for ,refugees2      
,whereas1 in #bjah1 global resettlement 
needs were not met despite the high     
number of refugees in need of           
third-country resettlement2 ,whereas a  
decline in refugee resettlements has had
 adverse impacts on the infrastructure  
of refugee resettlement in the ,united  
,states1 creating challenges for future 
increases in resettlement2 ,whereas many
 ,presidents have made changes and      
improvements to the refugee resettlement
 program while continuing to support and
 nurture its crucial role in            
humanitarian protection and in promoting
 the national security and strategic    
interests of the ,united ,states2       
,whereas refugees are the most          
thoroughly vetted class of foreign      
nationals to enter the ,united ,states  
and are subject to extensive screening  
checks1 including in-person interviews1 
biometric data checks1 and multiple     

interagency checks2 and ,whereas1 as the
 major global humanitarian and strategic
 leader1 the ,united ,states should     
operate its refugee resettlement program
 in a manner consistent with global     
refugee resettlement need1 the          
historical commitment of the ,united    
,states to refugee resettlement since   
the enactment of the ,refugee ,act of   
#aihj 7,public ,law #if-bab2 #id ,stat4 
#ajb71 and the critical humanitarian    
leadership role of the ,united ,states  
on the world stage3 ,now1 therefore1 be 
it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 reaffirms   
its bipartisan commitment-- 7,a7 to     
abide by the cherished domestic and     
international legal obligations of the  
,united ,states to protect refugees who 
flee war1 persecution1 or torture in    
search of religious liberty1 democracy1 
peace1 hope1 and freedom2 and  7,b7 to  
recognize the importance of the refugee 
resettlement program of the ,united     
,states as a critical tool for saving   
lives and as a critical function of     

,united ,states global leadership-- 7i7 
to leverage foreign policy2  7ii7 to    
strengthen national and regional        
security2  7iii7 to support allies of   
the ,united ,states2 and  7iv7 to       
demonstrate international support of    
refugees2 and  7#b7 calls upon the      
,united ,states ,government-- 7,a7 to   
provide robust funding for refugee      
protection overseas and resettlement in 
the ,united ,states2  7,b7 to uphold its
 international leadership role in       
responding to displacement crises with  
humanitarian assistance and protection  
of the most vulnerable populations2     
7,c7 to work in partnership with the    
international community to find         
solutions to existing conflicts and     
prevent new conflicts from beginning2   
and  7,d7 to ensure the refugee         
resettlement program of the ,united     
,states is equipped to protect and      
support refugees1 especially allies who 
need the support of the ,united ,states1
 as well as the international refugee   

assistance community that needs ,united 
,states leadership1 and local           
communities across the ,united ,states  
who want to welcome refugees and        
continue together to build the ,american
 dream4