Unanimous Consent Request--No. S. 2216
Floor Speech
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Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I think we are all aware President Biden has decided to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan in September. Now, some agree with his decision; some disagree with his decision. The bill that I am about to talk about has nothing to do with the merits of his decision.
There are about 18,000--not 1,800, 18,000--interpreters and members of their immediate families who helped our troops fight the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban and against ISIS. They are at risk.
There was an article in a leading newspaper yesterday. I will read you the headline. It says: ``Afghan government could collapse 6 months after US withdrawal.''
These 18,000 interpreters and their immediate families, who have helped American troops, would like to get out. We have a visa process, which is going very, very slowly. We will not be able to get all of those 18,000 human beings out before the withdrawal in September. That much is clear.
Again, my bill has nothing to do with the merits or lack thereof of the war. My bill would direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to develop a plan to relocate the Afghan interpreters and their immediate families who want to get out and bring them to America.
Now, obviously, before we bring them to America, those who want to come, we have to vet them. That is part of the problem. The vetting process right now is very slow. Rather than try to put together a bill that would set forth a specific plan to address this--I consider it a crisis if you are 1 of those 18,000 human beings--my bill will just direct the Defense Department and the State Department to come up with a plan to present to us within 30 days.
Now, my guess, and it is only a guess, is that State and Defense are going to come up with some plan to move those of the 18,000 who want to leave Afghanistan to a safe third place other than America so that we can continue to properly vet folks before they come into America. And I suggest we do need to properly vet them, but I also suggest that, No. 1, this is about right and wrong. These people helped Americans, and they helped American troops. And we owe them. And we don't want to see them massacred. And, No. 2, if we allow them to be massacred, I think it is going to send a message to many people throughout the world that loyalty to America means nothing, absolutely nothing.
So, in a nutshell, this bill would ask our Defense Department and our State Department, in the next 30 days, to give a plan to Congress to properly vet and allow any of these 18,000 interpreters and their families who helped American troops come to America.
With that, Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S.
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Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I respect my colleague, and I certainly respect his right to object. I disagree.
We are all aware of what is going on in Afghanistan. The Afghan Government is in a bitter fight to the end with the Taliban. And the Taliban is winning. And the Taliban is ruthless. And they are going to murder these people. They are going to murder them. And the blood is going to be on American hands if we don't do something to help.
My proposal would not have required any of these 18,000 Afghans who stood with American troops to beat back the Taliban and to beat back ISIS--they stood with us at their own risk, at the risk of their own kids, and their own spouses.
Now, we decided to leave. I am not saying that is right or wrong. I have my own opinion, but that is not what this bill is about. And we owe it to these 18,000 people to offer them a chance to live. And if we don't do something, they are going to be butchered. They are going to be gutted like a deer--like a deer--and the blood is going to on American hands. And the whole world is going to take notice.
There is right and wrong in this world. There is politics. There is a time for it. But there is a time to do the right thing, and the right thing is to help save these human lives who fought for America and their families and their children.
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