III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 545 

Commemorating March 17, 2020, as the 40th anniversary of the Refugee 

Act of 1980, including the amendments made by that Act, 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 program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 17, 2020 

Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. LANKFORD) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating March 17, 2020, as the 40th anniversary 

of the Refugee Act of 1980, including the amendments 

made by that Act, 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 program. 

Whereas, after receiving bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Refugee Act 

of 1980, S. 643 (96th Congress), including the amendments made by that Act, was signed into law on March 

17, 1980, to provide a domestic framework for the 

United States to align with the international obligations 

of the United States, including under— 

(1) the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, done at Geneva July 28, 1951 (as made applicable 


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by the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, done 

at New York January 31, 1967 (19 U.S.T. 6223), to 

which the United States is a party); 

(2) the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, 

Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, done 

at New York December 10, 1984, to which the United 

States is a party; 

(3) the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, done at New York September 28, 1954; and 

(4) the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, done at New York August 30, 1961; 

Whereas the humanitarian protection provided by the Refugee Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–212; 94 Stat. 102), including the amendments made by that Act, is consistent 

with the best values of the United States, such as judging people not ‘‘by the color of their skin but by the content of their character’’, championing religious liberty, 

standing up for one’s beliefs, standing up for those who 

are being mistreated, championing democracy, and upholding the rights and practices of self-governance and 

free speech regardless of race, ethnicity, or nationality; 

Whereas refugees are courageous, hard-working people of 

conviction and values, defenders of democracy and faith, 

and people who face persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social 

group, or political opinion, and in some cases, face persecution because they allied with the United States in crucial missions, such as in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Iraq, 

and Afghanistan; 

Whereas the refugee resettlement program of the United 

States authorized under the Refugee Act of 1980 (Public 

Law 96–212; 94 Stat. 102), including the amendments 


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made by that Act, is a life-saving solution critical to global humanitarian efforts that— 

(1) strengthens global security; 

(2) advances the foreign policy goals and national 

security interests of the United States; 

(3) supports countries that host hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of refugees; 

(4) collaborates with and supports the efforts of the 

international community to support and resettle vulnerable populations; 

(5) stabilizes sensitive conflicts and regions around 

the globe; and 

(6) encourages other countries to contribute through 

humanitarian support, resettlement, and finding strategies to address existing conflict and prevent future conflict; 

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 builders; 

Whereas the Department of State acknowledged the partnership between the admission of refugees and the protection 

of inherent human rights in the 2018 Report on International Religious Freedom and the 2018 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices; 

Whereas refugees are major contributors to local economies, 

pay an average of $21,000 more in taxes than they receive in benefits, and revitalize cities and towns by offsetting population decline and boosting economic growth 

throughout the United States by opening businesses, paying taxes, and buying homes; 


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Whereas several industries rely heavily on refugee workers to 

support the economic stability of those industries, and 

low rates of arrivals of refugees, especially in towns that 

rely on refugee populations to revitalize the industries in 

those towns, have had serious effects on economic 

growth; 

Whereas, through the refugee resettlement program, the 

United States has proudly pursued strategic and humanitarian interests, resettling more than 3,000,000 refugees 

in 49 States over more than 40 years, and the program 

has received support from Republican and Democratic 

Presidential administrations and bipartisan congressional 

support, as Presidents have set, through Presidential determinations, an average annual refugee admissions goal 

of 95,000 refugees; 

Whereas, in collaboration with the Department of State and 

through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, faith communities, civic leaders, local social service agencies, employers, and refugee resettlement agencies provide essential services and welcome refugees who bring new life and 

vitality to local communities; 

Whereas, in 2020, the world is in the midst of the worst global displacement crisis in history, with more than 

70,800,000 forcibly displaced persons, including more 

than 25,900,000 refugees worldwide, more than 1⁄2 of 

whom are children, according to estimates from the 

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; 

Whereas, in 2018, global resettlement needs were not met despite the high number of refugees in need of third-country resettlement; 


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Whereas a decline in refugee resettlements has had adverse 

impacts on the infrastructure of refugee resettlement in 

the United States, creating challenges for future increases in resettlement; 

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 States; 

Whereas refugees are the most thoroughly vetted class of foreign nationals to enter the United States and are subject 

to extensive screening checks, including in-person interviews, biometric data checks, and multiple interagency 

checks; and 

Whereas, as the major global humanitarian and strategic 

leader, the United States should operate its refugee resettlement program in a manner consistent with global refugee resettlement need, the historical commitment of the 

United States to refugee resettlement since the enactment of the Refugee Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–212; 

94 Stat. 102), and the critical humanitarian leadership 

role of the United States on the world stage: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) reaffirms its bipartisan commitment— 

3 (A) to abide by the cherished domestic and 

4 international legal obligations of the United 

5 States to protect refugees who flee war, perse6 cution, or torture in search of religious liberty, 

7 democracy, peace, hope, and freedom; and 


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1 (B) to recognize the importance of the ref2 ugee resettlement program of the United States 

3 as a critical tool for saving lives and as a crit4 ical function of United States global leader5 ship— 

6 (i) to leverage foreign policy; 

7 (ii) to strengthen national and re8 gional security; 

9 (iii) to support allies of the United 

10 States; and 

11 (iv) to demonstrate international sup12 port of refugees; and 

13 (2) calls upon the United States Government— 

14 (A) to provide robust funding for refugee 

15 protection overseas and resettlement in the 

16 United States; 

17 (B) to uphold its international leadership 

18 role in responding to displacement crises with 

19 humanitarian assistance and protection of the 

20 most vulnerable populations; 

21 (C) to work in partnership with the inter22 national community to find solutions to existing 

23 conflicts and prevent new conflicts from begin24 ning; and 


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1 (D) to ensure the refugee resettlement pro2 gram of the United States is equipped to pro3 tect and support refugees, especially allies who 

4 need the support of the United States, as well 

5 as the international refugee assistance commu6 nity that needs United States leadership, and 

7 local communities across the United States who 

8 want to welcome refugees and continue together 

9 to build the American dream. 

Æ 


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