WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) announced he sponsored the Afghan Adjustment Act.
“The withdrawal from Afghanistan was a dark day in American history,” said Sen. Moran. “The rushed and chaotic evacuation from Kabul resulted in the deaths of American servicemembers and stranded thousands of our Afghan allies behind enemy lines. For two decades countless Afghans stood by our servicemembers and risked their lives and their families’ lives to support our troops in Afghanistan. Veterans of the Afghan War are now calling for Congress to provide safety and certainty for their allies and friends who assisted them in battle. We must answer that call and establish a pathway for our Afghan partners to begin a new life. This legislation will put a program in place to protect our national security while also keeping our promise to those who risked their lives for America.”
“As a constituent and Afghan veteran, I applaud Sen. Moran for endorsing the Afghan Adjustment Act,” said 1SG (ret.) Slade Deister, from Leavenworth, Kan. “I am grateful that he has listened to veterans, and this is a critical piece of legislation that supports our nation's veterans and warfighters by ensuring that we honor our allies during America’s longest war. If Congress does not act to support its allies by passing the Afghan Adjustment Act, potential allies in future combat zones are going to be less likely to support the U.S. mission after seeing our Afghan partners abandoned.”
After U.S. troops were pulled out of Afghanistan, Afghanistan fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, resulting in a humanitarian and global security crisis. In the months following the collapse of Afghanistan, thousands of Americans, Afghans and foreign nationals sought refuge from the Taliban. The U.S. assisted in the evacuation of thousands of Afghans to the U.S. and other countries.
The Afghan Adjustment Act would:
1. Establish a task force to develop and implement a strategy for supporting Afghans who were left behind or outside of the United States who are eligible for SIV status and require the Department of State to respond to congressional inquiries about SIV applications;
2. Allow Afghans on humanitarian status who submit to additional vetting to apply for permanent legal status. For these Afghans, the primary options under current law to gain permanent status are through our asylum system or the burdensome SIV process;
3. Expand the SIV program to include previously omitted groups, including the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan, the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command, the Afghan Air Force, and the Special Mission Wing of Afghanistan.
The legislation has received the endorsement of organizations including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Veterans for Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Veterans for American Ideals, With Honor Action and the Association of Wartime Allies
This legislation is also sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).