Political Quotes

“I rise today to introduce a resolution to mark World Refugee Day, and to address the ongoing displacement crisis across the globe. War, conflict and persecution have forced millions of people to leave their homes, creating more refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people than at any other time in history. Today, there are more than 65 million displaced men, women, and children worldwide, the highest level ever recorded in history. To put this number into perspective--if the global displaced population were a country, it would be the 21st largest country, more populated than the United Kingdom. The global displacement trends we are witnessing now, due to conflict, severe human rights abuses, and climate change, are not going away. U.S. leadership in responding to these crises, whether it is the immense suffering of refugees from South Sudan or the plight of the internally-displaced in Syria and Iraq, is critical. How we respond--or whether we respond at all--will undoubtedly shape the landscape and the lives of future generations for years to come. The United States has a long and proud history of providing safe harbor to the world's most vulnerable refugees--women and children, survivors of torture and other violence, and those with severe medical conditions. This included after World War II and after the fall of Saigon, when we resettled hundreds of thousands of refugees. At the same time, we take the security of our citizens seriously.…”