Tina Smith: “today I wish to commend the work of the Checkpoint One Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Oregon. Checkpoint…”

“today I wish to commend the work of the Checkpoint One Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Oregon. Checkpoint One assists Iraqis who have served as translators with the U.S. military. Under recent legislation authored by myself and my distinguished colleague Senator Kennedy, many of these Iraqis are seeking refuge in the United States from persecution in Iraq. Checkpoint One was founded by Jason Faler, one of many Oregonians drawn to public and humanitarian service. Jason served as a military intelligence officer with the Oregon Army National Guard in Iraq, where he worked with many brave Iraqis who risked their lives assisting U.S. troops. These Iraqis are far more than just people who translate Arabic to English; they are cultural advisers and loyal friends who help our soldiers survive in every dangerous and unfamiliar corner of Iraq. They stand shoulder to shoulder with Americans, facing the same bullets and bombs, but often without the same protections. In the face of death threats and attacks on them and their families, these Iraqis provide invaluable service to coalition forces. We are morally obligated to come to their aid, as they have come to ours. In response to this obligation, Senator Kennedy and I introduced The Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act last year to help bring translators and other Iraqis in peril to the United States. The act passed and was signed into law in January 2008.”