1. Electoral Count Reform Act (S.4573)
Reforms and modernizes the outdated 1887 Electoral Count Act, ensuring that electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state’s public vote for U.S. President. This provision, passed in the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, replaces ambiguous provisions of the 19th-century law with clear procedures that maintain appropriate state and federal roles in selecting the President and Vice President of the United States.
2. Honoring Our Promises through Expedition (HOPE) for Afghan SIVs Act (H.R.2336)
Key provisions from this act were passed in a supplemental appropriations act in late July of 2021, shortly before the withdrawal from Afghanistan unfolded. It was one of the most bipartisan acts to pass Congress in recent years. The act waives a requirement that SIV applicants must receive a medical screening in Afghanistan, and allows individuals to instead receive one in the United States. This helps cut red tape and expedite the SIV application process for vulnerable Afghan allies. Additionally, the bill appropriates $500 million to evacuate Afghan allies ahead of the U.S. troop withdrawal, $600 million to the State Department for refugee and migration assistance, and $25 million to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement for the Special Immigrant Visa program.
3. Averting Loss of Life and Injuring by Expediting SIVs (ALLIES) Act (H.R.3985)
This act passed alongside the HOPE Act and increases the total number of available Special Immigrant Visas for Afghan nationals by 8,000 – thereby raising the total available visas by over 30%.
4. Welcoming Evacuees Coming from Overseas to Mitigate Effects of Displacement (WELCOMED) Act (H.R.5168)
Provides crucial resettlement assistance to Afghan evacuees. This assistance is necessary because due to the rushed nature of the Afghan evacuation, many Afghans came to the U.S. under a program called ‘humanitarian parole,’ rendering them ineligible for the assistance that they would have received had they arrived as refugees or SIVs.
5. Expediting Verification of SIV Applicants Through the Synchronized Predeployment and Operation Tracker (SPOT) Database
This provision was included in the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act directs the Department of Defense and the Department of State to submit a joint report on the use of the Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) database to identify Afghans eligible for Special Immigrant Visas. The SPOT database is a government contracting database that helps verify Afghan contractors who are eligible for SIVs. The rapid collapse of the Afghan government and a lack of U.S. consular presence has exacerbated the problem of identifying SIV eligible Afghans; this legislation helps address this issue.
6. Afghan War Commission Act (S.2922)
Creates a non-partisan, independent commission to conduct a comprehensive examination of the war in Afghanistan and then produce a public, and unclassified report with actionable recommendations to ensure the U.S. learns from our experience in Afghanistan, and is prepared for future conflicts. As partisan recriminations have swirled in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, no serious, objective examination of the nearly 20 years war has occurred; this Commission, based on the 9/11 Commission, will fix that.
7. Arctic Security Initiative Act (S.2294)
Requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct a security assessment of the Arctic region, and establish an Arctic Security Initiative with a five-year plan to fully resource the DOD and provide individual service-specific strategies for the Arctic.
8. Extension of the Afghan Allies Protection Act (S.1786)
Extends the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program until December 31, 2024 and allows for an increase of 4,000 additional visas.
9. Report on Department of Defense Roles and Responsibilities in Support of National Strategy for the Arctic Region
This provision was included in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act and directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report detailing the department’s lines of efforts in support of the National Strategy for the Arctic Region, which includes implementation plans for each military department and the Office of Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict. This follows With Honor Action’s previous work on the passage of the Arctic Security Initiative Act (S.2294).
10. Afghan Allies Protection Act
Authorizes an additional 12,000 Afghan Special Immigrant Visas and extends the program through 2025. This is the largest expansion of the Afghan SIV program to date.
11. Strengthening Tools to Counter the Use of Human Shields Act (H.R. 5917)
Enhances sanctions against terrorist organizations that use human shields, specifically Hamas.
12. Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act (H.R. 3333/S. 1271)
Declares the trafficking of fentanyl a national emergency and takes steps to combat the flow of opioids into the U.S., including requiring the U.S. President to sanction transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels’ key members engaged in international fentanyl trafficking.