WHA Letter to Congressional Leadership Urging the Passage of the Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Amendment

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Dear Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Speaker Johnson, and Leader Jeffries,

We write to urge you to include the Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. This measure is critical to standardizing additional vetting in the pathway to legal permanent status for eligible Afghans who were relocated to the United States due to the U.S. military withdrawal.

The October 2024 arrest of Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, someone the U.S. Department of Justice has charged with conspiring with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), underscores the urgency of this legislation. Tawhedi was admitted to the United States on temporary humanitarian parole status without a specified avenue for additional vetting aligned with the rigorous standards that the Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Amendment would implement. This legislation’s 13-step national security and background checks would require interagency reviews, spanning the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense, as well as mandatory in-person interviews.

As veterans organizations serving veterans across the country, including those of the Global War on Terrorism, we know firsthand the moral and national security imperative of keeping our promises to the Afghan nationals who supported the U.S. mission and were admitted to the United States under emergency circumstances. By requiring applicants to undergo a rigorous, gold-standard vetting process, and placing those who pass and are eligible on a pathway to legal permanent status, passing the Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Amendment would help alleviate any remaining security concerns about the Afghan humanitarian parole recipients in the United States. Without this legislation, we leave these Afghans in a state of legal limbo and without a comprehensive remedy for vetting concerns.

That is why the undersigned national veterans organizations urge Congress to pass the Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Amendment in the NDAA or any appropriate end-of-year package.

Sincerely,

Association of Wartime Allies
Blue Star Families
National Guard Association of the United States
No One Left Behind
Operation Recovery
Special Operations Association of America
Special Forces Association
Student Veterans of America
The American Legion
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
Veterans of Foreign Wars
With Honor Action

Op-Ed: A nonpartisan way to make a difference this election

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A nonpartisan way to make a difference this election

By Rye Barcott
In December 2005, my Marine regimental combat team planned to provide security for elections in Fallujah, one of Iraq’s most violent cities. We anticipated a volatile day with low voter turnout. After all, very few people voted in Fallujah in the prior election just 11 months earlier.

That Election Day, as the sun rose, I watched from a machine gun turret as scores of Iraqi poll workers in Fallujah set up local polling stations. The presence of these local poll workers, few of whom wore protective flak jackets, helped instill confidence with other war-weary residents. Shockingly, by evening, more than 70% of eligible Iraqi citizens had risked their lives and voted in Fallujah. My experience in Iraq gave me an even greater appreciation for our system of elections here in the U.S. As vitriolic and divisive as our politics can be today, election administrators across the country work hard to ensure our elections are free, safe and accessible to all eligible voters.

Even so, in this time of division and chaos, it’s difficult for many Americans to think about ways they can actually make a difference in our civic life. It’s a natural instinct to disengage. This is especially true for the near majority of Americans who don’t want to be partisans; according to Gallup, 43% of Americans now identify politically as independents.

However, this election season, regardless of political affiliation, any American can do something that can make a difference: take a day, work the polls.

According to the Election Assistance Commission, it takes about 1 million poll workers to responsibly execute a general election in a presidential election year. And election administrators across the country are facing critical needs for poll workers as we barrel ahead toward what may be one of the most contentious elections in our history, and at a time when public confidence in elections is waning.

Poll workers are the guardians of electoral integrity. These normal citizens check in voters, answer technical questions, ensure unfettered access to ballots, verify voter eligibility, and help citizens with language limitations or disabilities participate in their civic duty.

Years after my military service in Iraq, I witnessed a similar scene in Kenya, a relatively young multi-party democracy where I volunteered as an election monitor with the Carter Center and the International Republican Institute. Thousands of Kenyans of all ages volunteered and worked the polls, many of them for more than 14 hours, setting up before dawn and turning in well after dusk.

American poll workers may also be asked to work 14 hours on Election Day (though some jurisdictions do offer shifts, and the role is almost always paid). All poll workers — whether for elections in Iraq, Kenya, or here in America — play a similarly important and inspiring role in the democratic process.

Inspired by these experiences, I recently joined the Advisory Council of Power the Polls, a national, nonpartisan initiative committed to recruiting the next generation of poll workers to ensure fair, free and accessible elections. Through Power the Polls, you can quickly find the local poll worker requirements, schedule, pay, and apply to work the polls in your community.

Serving as a poll worker increases trust in the elections process. Poll workers often find their experiences rewarding, and are eager to serve again.

Our nation gives freedoms and opportunities unimaginable to most humans who have ever lived. America doesn’t ask much in return. For most citizens, the only service that’s actually required is jury duty, if summoned. In fact, fewer than 2% of Americans now serve in military or civilian service in the United States.

Full-time service is not realistic for many Americans. Nonetheless, those Americans are serving you. In the military, they are defending your freedoms. In civilian service like the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, they are strengthening democracies and making our nation better. In the offices of election administrators, they are doing the work to run safe and smooth elections.

This election season, do more than vote. Serve. It will make a difference, and you don’t have to be partisan. Take a day. Work the polls.

Here’s Why Lawmakers Want to Automatically Register Men for Selective Service

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Military.com | Rebecca Kheel
Published July 05, 2024 at 7:46 AM ET

Cardi B, as it turns out, is not a font of knowledge about the military draft.

Despite misinformation and misunderstandings floating around TikTok, including from the rap superstar with more than 20 million followers on the social media platform, Congress is not on the verge of reinstating a military draft.

Rather, the House has advanced a bipartisan proposal that would automatically register young men with the Selective Service System, something they are already legally required to do.

The legislation’s backers say it’s a commonsense solution to a yearslong problem: The government is fighting a costly, losing battle to inform young men of their legal requirement to register as the rate of registration keeps declining.

But the proposal is getting conflated with unfounded chatter of a reinstated military draft, as well as with a separate contentious debate about whether to make women register for the draft, threatening its chances of becoming law and frustrating the lawmakers who wrote the legislation.

“This new legislation saves taxpayers significant money and makes it easier for these men to follow the law and register with the Selective Service. That is all. Full stop,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., said in a statement last week. “Our nation has not had a military draft in more than a half-century, and I spend a great deal of my time in Congress working to ensure that we never will again.”

At issue is an amendment sponsored by Houlahan and Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., that was included in the House-passed version of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, to automate draft registration.

The U.S. has not drafted anyone into compulsory military service since 1973, but men ages 18 through 25 still have to register with the Selective Service System in case there is a draft again in the future. The registration requirement has been in place consistently since 1980.

The Selective Service System has an annual budget of a little more than $30 million. It’s unclear exactly how much of that is devoted specifically to advertising and other outreach campaigns, but the agency asked Congress for about $11 million for next year for registration efforts as a whole, including to “launch new targeted registration advertising campaigns” and to “synchronize advertising efforts to support registration improvement in low compliance areas,” according to budget documents.

Last year, Selective Service System ads on social media, TV, billboards and more made more than 112 million impressions, an increase over 2022’s 109 million impressions and 2021’s 105 million, according to the agency’s annual performance reports.

But increased ad reach didn’t translate to increased registration. In 2023 and 2022, the compliance rate for registering was about 84%, a 5% decrease from 2021, according to the annual reports and data obtained by Military.com. The 2021 compliance rate, in turn, was a 1% decrease from 2020.

The Selective Service System attributes the drop-off largely to the fact that failing to register no longer disqualifies men from federal student aid, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, no longer asks men whether they want to register under a law passed in 2021. From 2009 to 2019, FAFSA applications accounted for about 24% of registrations, according to data obtained by Military.com.

“With the onset of this legislation in 2021, SSS saw an immediate decrease in registration compliance for 18- to 25-year-olds from the previous year, with registration falling below 90% nationwide,” the agency wrote in a legislative proposal sent to Congress earlier this year that was obtained by Military.com. “The agency anticipates that the law could impact the SSS registration rate by as much as 10% over the coming years, despite the availability of other existing registration methods, making registration less fair and equitable nationally and leading to undesirable impacts on national defense readiness.”

While federal student aid is no longer connected to registration, failing to register can still come with a host of penalties, including the possibility of a felony conviction punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and 5 years imprisonment. Men who don’t register are also ineligible for federal jobs, as well as state student aid and state jobs in most states.

Under Houlahan and Bacon’s amendment, the Selective Service System would use existing databases, such from the Social Security Administration and departments of motor vehicles, to automatically register 18- to 25-year-old men, ending the threat of penalties and the need to use taxpayer money to encourage men to register. The agency would also be able to reach out to men to inform them that they are registered and ask for any missing information.

Automatic registration would start one year after the legislation becomes law.

The amendment was unanimously approved in a voice vote with little debate when the House Armed Services Committee considered the NDAA in May. At the committee meeting, Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said he “wholeheartedly” endorsed the proposal, calling it “long overdue.”

Shortly after the full House passed its NDAA last month, TikTok users began spreading falsehoods that Congress had approved a new military draft. Rapper Cardi B, alternating between cracking up and being incredulous, chimed in to opine that Gen Z men, or “TikTok f—ing hip-shakers,” aren’t suitable for war.

“You gonna draft these kids that be TikToking all day to fight them, what, mostly like, what, them Russians? Them motherf—ers that be fighting bears and sh–, and motherf—ing climbing mountains to go to school or whatever?” she said in a video.

Meanwhile, the Senate is locked in a separate debate about whether to make women register for Selective Service. Lawmakers have debated doing so on and off since 2016 after the Pentagon opened all combat jobs to women, but conservative opposition has successfully blocked adding women to registration requirements each time the idea has been proposed.

The version of the NDAA that advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee last month included a provision that would require women to register, reviving language that last appeared in an NDAA in 2022. The political headwinds that prevented the provision from becoming law in the past haven’t changed, with conservatives still vowing to fight hard against efforts to “draft our daughters.”

The House and the Senate will need to reconcile their respective NDAAs before either draft-related proposal becomes law, providing an opportunity to scuttle one or both ideas.

The debate over adding women to a potential military draft has threatened to overshadow the one about whether to automate existing registration requirements for men. But supporters of the House proposal on automatic registration say it’s a much-needed update that should not be derailed by tangential issues.

“While registration in the Selective Service is vital for our military readiness, the system that exists today is outdated, inefficient and costly,” Rye Barcott, co-founder and CEO of With Honor Action, a bipartisan political action committee that supports veterans running for office, said in an emailed statement to Military.com.

“This is why With Honor Action supports Rep. Houlahan and Rep. Bacon’s … initiative to reintroduce automatic registration, which would cut bureaucratic red tape and ensure all of our energy is focused on building up our military capabilities,” he added, “which is increasingly critical as the United States faces growing external threats.”

With Honor Action Applauds Re-Introduction of the BIOSECURE Act

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Washington, D.C. – With Honor Action applauds Representative Brad Wenstrup, a medical doctor, Army veteran, and Member of the For Country Caucus, for re-introducing the BIOSECURE Act. This bill restricts federally funded medical providers from using certain foreign adversary biotech companies of concern, especially those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The BIOSECURE Act directly addresses recent reporting of Chinese companies with ties to the CCP transferring US intellectual property and seeking access to Americans’ biogenetic data. 

“We are pleased to see this bipartisan legislation led by veterans in Congress,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action. “Biosecurity is a critical national security issue, and this act builds upon the work With Honor Action and the For Country Caucus have done in collaboration with the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology.”

This bill was originally introduced by former Representative Mike Gallagher, a member of the For Country Caucus and Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and was endorsed by With Honor Action earlier this year. In 2021, With Honor Action worked with For Country Caucus members Representatives Mike Gallagher and Seth Moulton to establish the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology that will provide insight and recommendations on the myriad of national security implications from the advancement of biotechnology, including biomanufacturing, genomic and biometric data usage, and the identification of supply chain vulnerabilities. 

You may read the full text of the BIOSECURE Act here.

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With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage. With Honor Action works alongside the bipartisan For Country Caucus in Congress to pass critical legislation for our nation. Learn more about our work at withhonor.org

With Honor Action Endorses the CLARITY Act

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Washington, DC – With Honor Action is proud to endorse the CLARITY Act, bipartisan legislation led by For Country Caucus member Representative Zach Nunn and Representative Abigail Spanberger. The bill takes a comprehensive step in combating the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by restricting U.S. government employees from transacting with the CCP developed blockchain technology.

The Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), a new type of blockchain technology developed and controlled by the CCP, has the potential to become widely used in the world of cloud storage, as it is a cheaper option for information storage. Allowing this CCP-owned and operated technology to become the mainstream in the United States poses a serious security risk. By storing information on the BSN, not only would the CCP have a backdoor to Americans’ private information such as passwords and social security numbers, but if utilized by the federal government it could give the CCP the keys to sensitive national security information. The CLARITY Act would address this major oversight by prohibiting the federal government from utilizing blockchain technology developed by the CCP and any other foreign adversaries, ensuring our national security interests remain secure.

“The Chinese Communist Party cannot be trusted with any connection to Americans’ private information or our national security interests,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action. “The CLARITY Act would allow us to mitigate this threat by limiting access to the Blockchain Service Network, strengthening our national security and taking a stand against the CCP.”

With Honor Action thanks Rep. Nunn and Rep. Spanberger for their leadership and urges Congress to pass this crucial legislation as soon as possible.

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With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to service with integrity, civility, and courage. With Honor Action works alongside the bipartisan For Country Caucus in Congress to pass critical legislation for our nation. Learn more about our work at withhonor.org 

With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm.
With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund II.

With Honor Action Urges Congress to Support Our Afghan Allies

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Washington, DC – With Honor Action strongly urges lawmakers to pass the appropriations package, which includes key provisions from the Afghan Allies Protection Act, bipartisan legislation led by For Country Caucus co-chair Rep. Jason Crow and member Rep. Brad Wenstrup. The bill would authorize an additional 12,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and extend the Afghan SIV program through 2025.

Since the fall of Kabul in 2021, tens of thousands of our Afghan allies have been forced to evacuate Afghanistan due to the brutality of the Taliban. During a recent committee hearing, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark A. Milley, and former CENTCOM Commander, General Kenneth F. McKenzie, testified that these brave men and women who served beside American troops are being systematically hunted, tortured, and killed because we have failed to keep our word to have their back. Due to their assistance to the U.S. military in Afghanistan, over 100,000 Afghans currently qualify for SIVs, but there are only an estimated 7,000 remaining in the program. If passed, this bill would secure the largest-ever increase in Afghan SIVs and provide the program with a much-needed extension until December 31, 2025, allowing the State Department to continue its work to resettle our wartime allies. 

“Our Afghan allies stood with us through our nation’s longest war, fighting side by side with American troops against the Taliban. We can’t abandon them now,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action. “With Honor Action is urgently calling on Congress to pass this bipartisan legislation and do right by our Afghan allies. We thank For Country Caucus members Rep. Crow and Rep. Wenstrup, as well as House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger for their steadfast support of the Afghans who fought alongside us for nearly 20 years.”

In Congress, With Honor Action has been at the forefront of the fight to support our Afghan allies. Working alongside the members of the bipartisan For Country Caucus and the Honoring Our Promises Working Group, With Honor Action supported the passage of key legislation in the 117th Congress, including the HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act, the ALLIES Act, and the WELCOMED Act. We will continue to advocate on behalf of the over 80,000 Afghans who have come to America seeking a better life and for the tens of thousands of Afghan allies still stuck in Afghanistan and abroad. This bipartisan legislation is supported by The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, No One Left Behind, as well as the American public, 89% of which said they support keeping our pledge to Afghans who helped U.S. forces against the Taliban.

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With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage. With Honor Action works alongside the bipartisan For Country Caucus in Congress to pass critical legislation for our nation. Learn more about our work at withhonor.org 

With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm.
With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund II.

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