Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that— (1) community-based refugee reception is not a replacement for resettlement services provided through experienced providers but serves as an effective complement to existing resettlement pathways by increasing the capacity of local communities to resettle refugees in the United States; (2) in addition to supporting self-sufficiency of refugees, participation in community-based reception encourages United States citizens to meaningfully engage with their neighbors and local institutions while working toward a common goal; (3) the Department of State should utilize all available tools to expand avenues for United States citizens to participate in refugee resettlement and capitalize on widespread interest in community-based reception models; (4) the United States Refugee Admissions Program is a critical demonstration of efforts by the United States to extend hope, strengthen global security, and relieve suffering through refugee resettlement; (5) although less than 1 percent of global refugees will ever be resettled in a third country, refugees resettled in the United States between 2005 and 2019 contributed a staggering $123,800,000,000 in net benefit to the economy according to studies conducted by the Federal Government; (6) the world is currently faced with the greatest displacement and refugee crisis in history as record numbers of people have been forced to flee violence and persecution, including 36,800,000 refugees, and the United States must set the bar for a global response; (7) when the United States invests in refugee and humanitarian protections, it stabilizes regional security and encourages other countries to expand access to resettlement and other pathways to protection; and (8) processing and admission of refugees through the United States Refugee Admissions Program must immediately resume for all nationalities under consideration for resettlement in accordance with Federal law and international obligations.