I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6496 
To address the impending humanitarian crisis and potential security break-
down as a result of the mass influx of Iraqi refugees into neighboring 
countries, and the growing internally displaced population in Iraq, by 
increasing directed accountable assistance to these populations and their 
host countries, facilitating the resettlement of Iraqis at risk, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 15, 2008 
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 
SHAYS, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. OLVER, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. 
WELCH of Vermont, and Ms. WATERS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition 
to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To address the impending humanitarian crisis and potential 
security breakdown as a result of the mass influx of 
Iraqi refugees into neighboring countries, and the grow-
ing internally displaced population in Iraq, by increasing 
directed accountable assistance to these populations and 
their host countries, facilitating the resettlement of Iraqis 
at risk, and for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Iraqi Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Humani-
tarian Assistance, Resettlement, and Security Act of 
2008’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Sense of Congress. 
Sec. 4. Statements of policy. 
Sec. 5. Humanitarian assistance for vulnerable populations in Iraq, IDPs, and 
Iraqi refugees. 
Sec. 6. Iraqi refugee admissions and processing. 
Sec. 7. International cooperation. 
Sec. 8. Report to Congress. 
Sec. 9. Vulnerable populations in Iraq defined. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, ac-
cording to the Office of the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 
2,000,000 Iraqis have fled their homes for neigh-
boring countries to avoid sectarian and other vio-
lence. 
(2) According to the UNHCR, there are over 
2,700,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in 
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Iraq, many lacking adequate food, shelter, and other 
basic services. 
(3) The security situation in several locations 
within Iraq reduces access to the Iraqi population by 
Iraqi Government agencies and humanitarian aid 
providers and greatly limits the provision of aid. 
(4) The Iraq Study group predicted that ‘‘[a] 
humanitarian catastrophe could follow as more refu-
gees are forced to relocate across the country and 
the region.’’. 
(5) The dispersion of Iraqi refugees in poor 
urban areas of host countries makes it exceedingly 
difficult for humanitarian agencies to identify and 
reach these populations. 
(6) Many Iraqis have put their lives and those 
of their families at risk by working for the United 
States Government, United States corporations, the 
United States media, and nongovernmental organi-
zations. 
(7) Since March 2003, the United States has 
resettled fewer than 8,000 Iraqi refugees, while Jor-
dan and Syria have provided temporary asylum to 
2,000,000, and other countries neighboring Iraq 
have received tens of thousands more. 
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(8) Since March 2003, Sweden has accepted 
40,000 Iraqi refugees, and Denmark evacuated and 
resettled 370 Iraqi interpreters and other Iraqis who 
worked for Danish troops prior to the Danish con-
tingent’s departure from Iraq last year. 
(9) Current United States policies governing 
the processing of refugees constrain United States 
Government agencies from expediting the screening 
processes and increasing the number of Iraqis ac-
cepted into the United States. 
(10) The massive flow of Iraqi refugees into 
neighboring host countries has overwhelmed existing 
social, economic, and security capacities of such 
countries. 
(11) While Iraqi refugees and IDPs are dis-
proportionately made up of vulnerable populations, 
many other segments of the Iraqi population at large 
are also vulnerable. 
(12) Increasing poverty and despair among dis-
placed populations may provide fertile ground for ex-
tremist ideologies to take root and possible recruit-
ment by extremist groups. 
(13) The humanitarian crisis in Iraq and neigh-
boring countries threatens to destabilize the entire 
region. 
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(14) United States policy is to admit at least 
half of the refugees referred by the UNHCR. In 
2007, the UNHCR referred more than 10,000 cases 
to the United States, and the United States reset-
tled 1,608 Iraqi refugees. The United States has 
pledged to admit 12,000 Iraqi refugees in 2008. 
(15) In 2008, the Government of Iraq has dedi-
cated $18 million to its Ministry of Displaced and 
Immigration and offered $25 million to neighboring 
countries hosting Iraqi refugees, even as the Govern-
ment of Iraq is predicting it will likely generate 
more than $32 billion in oil revenues in 2008 alone. 
(16) The United States has yet to disclose a 
long-term comprehensive strategy to address this hu-
manitarian and security crisis. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) Iraqi refugees and IDPs will have an impact 
on the security of the region and the short- and 
long-term effects of their displacement must be con-
sidered within overall United States Iraq policy and 
be addressed at the highest levels of Government; 
(2) it is in the United States’ humanitarian and 
national interests to demonstrate its commitment to 
resettle Iraqi refugees and IDPs and to work with 
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other governments, including the member states of 
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe, to encourage them to do the same; and 
(3) the United States should express its grati-
tude and support to host countries for providing hu-
manitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees, as well as to 
those countries that have already resettled Iraqi ref-
ugees. 
SEC. 4. STATEMENTS OF POLICY. 
The following shall be the policies of the United 
States: 
(1) To lead an initiative to provide for the relief 
of vulnerable populations in Iraq, including IDPs, 
and Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries and to 
take the lead in funding assistance requests from the 
UNHCR, other humanitarian agencies, and inter-
national organizations by funding at levels well 
above the traditional United States share, and to as-
sist in the resettlement of Iraqi refugees. 
(2) To develop immediately a long-term com-
prehensive strategy for Iraq in coordination with the 
Government of Iraq and host countries, the United 
Nations, and nongovernmental organizations to meet 
the humanitarian and security needs of Iraqi refu-
gees and IDPs and to establish within the Executive 
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