Political Quotes

“I thank my good friend from California for yielding me the time to add my voice to this bill which addresses an issue of national security and affirms our moral commitment to those who have risked their lives on our behalf. I especially want to give a shout-out to Mr. Blumenauer and Mr. Kinzinger for their diligence in getting this measure to the floor. During our war in Afghanistan, our forces have been assisted ably and loyally by some Afghan nationals who have been essential to the mission and the lives of our military, especially Afghan interpreters. Now that we are leaving Afghanistan, these brave partners and their families face a mortal threat from the Taliban. They are relying on us to uphold our commitment to return their loyalty--and now that time has come--by allowing them to relocate to the United States. This Special Immigrant Visa category recognizes the extraordinary debt we owe these partners. As Ms. Lofgren mentioned, for a number of years, that category suffered from administrative neglect, and the visa process was hardly functional. In the past year, though, important improvements have been made to the processing system and many more of our Afghan allies are being admitted to the United States. Among them is Janis Shinwari, who served a translator alongside U.S. troops and saved the life of U.S. Army Captain Matt Zeller, with whom he now has a lifelong bond. Janis is now a member of my staff in my district office in Alexandria, Virginia.…”