WASHINGTON, DC — With Honor Action, along with members of the bipartisan For Country Caucus, held a press conference earlier today, calling for support for our wartime Afghan allies.
August marked two years since the fall of Kabul, and much work remains to be done to support our Afghan allies, both at home and abroad. With Honor Action, along with members of the For Country Caucus, is committed to fulfilling America’s promises to those who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us for more than two decades in our nation’s longest war.
“America gave her word to our wartime allies: stand with us and we will stand with you,” said Rye Barcott, With Honor Action CEO & Co-Founder. “It’s time we keep our word. Leaving our allies behind is unacceptable and damaging to our national security.”
L-R: Rep. Fitzpatrick, Rep. Miller-Meeks, Rye Barcott, Rep. Nunn (at podium), Rep. Waltz, and Rep. Jackson
Press conference attendees included:
Currently, there are two pieces of bipartisan legislation under consideration in the U.S. House focused on supporting our Afghan allies. The Afghan Adjustment Act, led by For Country Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, would provide Afghan refugees the opportunity to apply for permanent residence rather than being subject to traumatizing and complex asylum processes, expand eligibility in the special immigrant visa (SIV) program, and provide additional vetting to address any security concerns. The Afghan Allies Protection Act, led by For Country Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Jason Crow and For Country Caucus member Rep. Brad Wenstrup, would extend the life of the Afghan SIV program, provide an eligibility exemption for those injured or killed in the line of duty, and authorize an additional 20,000 special immigrant visas.
These two pieces of legislation address our commitments to our wartime allies by: 1) granting them the ability to settle in the United States permanently through the Afghan Adjustment Act and 2) providing more special immigrant visas to those who have been left behind, through the Afghan Allies Protection Act.