CHARLOTTE, NC – Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted 407 to 16 to pass the With Honor Action and For Country Caucus supported ALLIES Act of 2021. This Act, led by veteran bi-partisan Representatives Jason Crow and Adam Kinzinger, increases the number of Special Immigrant Visas by 8,000 and takes very important steps to streamline and improve the flawed SIV process. A full summary of its content can be found here.
“With Honor Action is pleased by this landslide bi-partisan vote to protect our Afghan allies and their families. We urge the Senate to swiftly pass the bill, and for the White House to start the evacuation plan immediately,” says With Honor Action Co-Founder and CEO Rye Barcott. “Tens of thousands of lives are on the line. Time is of the essence.”
With Honor Action also coordinated the following quotes by American national security leaders in advance of the vote to pass the ALLIES Act in the House:
“Thousands of our brave Afghan allies who served alongside U.S. military forces and in cooperative agreements and grants with U.S.-funded non-governmental organizations are at grave risk after putting their lives in danger for years. Co-sponsored by the bi-partisan veterans of the For Country Caucus, the ALLIES Act will help get these brave Afghans and their children to safety and streamline the whole process. It is our responsibility to stand by those who have stood by us. I urge Congress to pass it immediately,” said Dr. Robert Gates, 22nd U.S. Secretary of Defense and With Honor Action Advisory Board Member.
“I strongly encourage Congress to urgently pass the ALLIES Act introduced by the bipartisan veteran members of the For Country Caucus. This Act will help us protect the loyal Afghans who worked for years with the U.S. military and U.S.-funded non-governmental organizations operating under cooperative agreements and grants. Many of their lives — and in some cases the lives of their spouses and children — are now in imminent danger,” said retired Admiral Michael Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and With Honor Action Advisory Board Member.
“Our Afghan allies who served courageously for years in harm’s way including those who guided U.S. military forces or worked with U.S.-funded non-governmental organizations have earned the right to be Americans. The ALLIES Act, which is co-sponsored by bi-partisan veterans of the For Country Caucus who served in Afghanistan, is essential to streamline the flawed visa process and get them to safety immediately. It is our duty to do so, and time is of the essence. I strongly encourage Congress to pass it before it is too late,” said retired Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, 26th U.S. National Security Advisor.
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With Honor Action is a cross-partisan movement focused on supporting military veterans who want to work across the aisle and put principles before politics while serving again in Congress. With Honor Action’s advisory board includes post-9/11 veterans and Gold Star family members — Chris Howard, Ryan Manion, and Medal of Honor Recipient Florent Groberg — as well as prominent American leaders such as Secretary Robert Gates, Senator Tom Daschle, Admiral Michael Mullen, Gen. Nadja West, and David Gergen.
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.