IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 902 
Commemorating March 17, 2020, as the 40th anniversary of the Refugee 
Act of 1980, and 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 13, 2020 
Ms. GARCIA of Texas (for herself and Mr. CURTIS) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and 
in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Commemorating March 17, 2020, as the 40th anniversary 
of the Refugee Act of 1980, and 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, and the amendments made by that Act, S. 643 
(96th Congress), 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— 
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•HRES 902 IH 
(1) the Convention Relating to the Status of Refu-
gees, done at Geneva July 28, 1951 (as made applicable 
by the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, done 
at New York January 31, 1967 (19 U.S.T. 6223)), of 
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, of which the United 
States is a party; 
(3) the Convention relating to the Status of State-
less Persons, done at New York September 28, 1954; and 
(4) the Convention on the Reduction of Stateless-
ness, done at New York August 30, 1961; 
Whereas the humanitarian protection provided by the Ref-
ugee Act of 1980, and the amendments made by that Act 
(Public Law 96–212; 94 Stat. 102), is consistent with 
the best values of the United States, such as judging peo-
ple 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, reli-
gion, nationality, membership in a particular social 
group, or political opinion, and in some cases, face perse-
cution because they allied with the United States in cru-
cial missions, such as in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Iraq, 
and Afghanistan; 
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