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Today, the House passed the bipartisan HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act of 2021, which was led by Congressmen Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.). H.R. 3385 provides temporary relief from administrative burdens, allowing the United States to process and evacuate Afghans who helped our soldiers as interpreters and guides ahead of the scheduled September 11 troop withdrawal. With our withdrawal from Afghanistan, their lives are on the line.

Congressman Wenstrup delivered the following remarks during debate on the bill:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of H.R. 3385, the HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act, which the gentleman from Colorado and I introduced to help knock down one small barrier to getting our Afghan friends and allies out of harm's way, which they greatly deserve.

I truly appreciate the words expressed by my colleague because they reflect so many of my same feelings. The bill is not a permanent solution to fixing our special immigrant visa program, but it is a critical temporary waiver to help cut down on the backlog of pending Afghan SIV applications. During a time of great emergency, it is a life and death situation, without a doubt.

There is currently only one facility in Afghanistan that performs the required medical exams, located in Kabul. Because exams are only valid for a few months, many applicants must make repeated trips to Kabul at their own cost and risk.

H.R. 3385 would allow the Secretary of State and the DHS Secretary to jointly issue a one-year waiver for the in-country medical exam requirement, up to three years. But, importantly, the bill requires, to the greatest extent practical, that the applicant undergoes the medical exam no later than 30 days after being admitted to the United States. It explicitly states that nothing in the bill prohibits our agencies from adopting appropriate measures to prevent the spread of disease here. All it does is allow the applicant to undergo the medical exam here instead of in Kabul.

During my tour in Iraq, I worked alongside Iraqi interpreters who risked their lives to serve with us and help us complete our mission. Many eventually used a similar program to escape harm's way and to build a life in the United States. The two that I worked with and supported are now full U.S. citizens here in America. One is a cardiologist, and the other has a family practice.

As we withdraw from Afghanistan, the Afghans who served by our sides, the translators, the contractors, and the guides, without whom we could not do our jobs, are left in the crosshairs of the Taliban. They worked for the United States, despite knowing the risk to their own lives and their families. They believed in us, and they believed in our cause.

It will be a black eye on the United States if we don't do everything in our power to protect these allies. If we don't honor our promises, if we allow our friends to be targeted and killed by groups like the Taliban, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda because they worked with and for the United States of America, we will send a message to those we will need to rely on in the future that we are unable to live up to our side of the bargain.

I thank my colleague for his tireless work, all the staff who put in so much time to get this done and bring this issue to the forefront as we withdraw from Afghanistan, and for our bipartisan Honoring Our Promises Working Group for keeping the pressure on the administration to make sure that we don't leave our allies behind.

Mr. Speaker, please support this bill. It is a good thing for America to do.

Background:

The Afghan SIV Program was created in 2009 to provide safety for Afghan interpreters, contractors, and security personnel who worked with the U.S. government in Afghanistan. The application process has been plagued by delays since the program was established and faces severe backlogs, with wait times routinely stretching for years.

Since the Biden Administration announced their plans to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, SIV applicants and their families are increasingly under threat by the Taliban.

Among the bureaucratic hurdles facing SIV applicants, many have cited the in-country medical examination requirement, which can cost the applicants thousands of dollars, as a serious delay in the process. There is currently only one facility in Kabul that conducts all immigrant visa examinations for the entire country, forcing applicants from the outer provinces to travel to Kabul in often dangerous circumstances. Additionally, because the exams are only valid for a few months, many applicants must make repeated trips to Kabul at their own cost and risk.

H.R. 3385:

·     Allows the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly issue a waiver of the in-country medical exam requirement for the Afghan SIV program for 1 year, providing for a maximum of three 1-year waivers.

·     Requires congressional notification each time the waiver authority is exercised.

·     Requires a report to Congress one year after each waiver on the status of medical exams. Each report must include the number of pending and completed exams and the number of aliens who have failed to complete the exam within the 30-day period

·     Requires an SIV applicant to undergo his or her medical exam as soon as practicable once admitted but in no event later than 30 days. An applicant admitted to the United States under this waiver authority will be considered admitted on a conditional basis, and that conditional basis is lifted once the applicant completes the medical exam and is not inadmissible under INA Section 212(a)(1)(A).

·     The bill also contains a “rule of construction” explicitly stating that nothing in this bill prohibits State, DHS, DOD, or HHS from adopting appropriate measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases to the U.S.

The HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act of 2021 is supported by the American Legion, No One Left Behind, and the Special Operations Association of America.

Reps. Wenstrup, Crow, Waltz, and Moulton published an op-ed in RealClearDefense about their efforts titled, “The U.S. Must Honor Our Promises and Protect Afghan Partners.”

Congressman Brad Wenstrup has served in the U.S. Army Reserve since 1998, currently holding the rank of Colonel. In 2005-2006, he served a tour in Iraq as a combat surgeon and was awarded a Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge for his service. During his time in Congress, Brad is fulfilling his Reserve duties by treating patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.

Additional Reading:

National Journal: Veterans in Congress urge Biden to evacuate Afghan interpreters

The Hill: White House pressed on evacuating Afghan allies as time runs out

CNN: Bipartisan lawmakers call on Biden to 'immediately' evacuate Afghans who helped the US

The Hill: GOP rep: If Biden doesn't evacuate Afghan interpreters, 'blood will be on his hands'

Stars and Stripes: Bill from House lawmakers would speed up visa process for at-risk Afghans who helped US

War on the Rocks: Interpreters on the Run: Baghdad Underground Railroad

New York Times: Lawmakers Rush to Help Afghans Seeking Visas for Helping the U.S.

The Hill: White House pressed on evacuating Afghan allies as time runs out

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