# What This Resolution Actually Does

This is a statement of support from Congress expressing concern about Afghan citizens who worked with the U.S. military and are now at risk from the Taliban. It's not a law that creates new requirements, but rather a formal declaration calling on the government to take specific actions to help these people.

The core issue is this: thousands of Afghans worked as interpreters, translators, and contractors alongside American forces during the war in Afghanistan. These jobs made them targets for the Taliban, who view anyone who helped the U.S. as a traitor deserving death. The resolution notes that over 300 Afghan interpreters have been murdered by the Taliban since 2018. The U.S. created a special visa program back in 2009 to help these people escape to America, but there's a massive backlog. About 19,000 people are waiting for these visas, and the process is moving slowly—it could take two years or more to process everyone currently in line. Meanwhile, the U.S. was withdrawing its military from Afghanistan (this resolution was written in June 2021, right as that withdrawal was happening), which means these Afghan workers would be left behind and vulnerable.

The resolution calls on Congress and the State Department to speed things up. Specifically, it asks them to increase the number of available visas by 8,000, expedite the application process, fix a rule that prevents family members from continuing if the main applicant dies, and prepare for emergency evacuations if needed. It also urges the government to work with allies to protect Afghan human rights defenders, particularly women and girls. Essentially, Congress is saying: we made a promise to these people who risked their lives for us, and we need to actually follow through before it's too late.

Expressing support for the people of Afghanistan, condemning the Taliban's assault on human rights, and calling for the Federal Government to protect the Afghan citizens who bravely served alongside the Armed Forces of the United States by providing adequate resources for the special immigrant visa program established under the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009.

Keating, William R.

 <p>This resolution recognizes the sacrifices and bravery of the Afghan people in their struggle for democracy while enduring decades-long conflict and oppression by the Taliban. It also condemns the Taliban's continued human rights violations.</p>