06/07/2024
The deadline has passed for amendments to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act . There are now four proposed amendments that include support for Afghan allies still in Afghanistan as well as providing a permanent residency for those admitted under Parole. The four amendments included in the NDAA are listed below:
Amendment 731 is the updated version of AAA, named Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies.
Amendment 866 is the Afghan Allies Protection Act minus the authorization for additional visas.
Amendment 944 is the bill to authorize the State Department's CARE team (that passed out of HFAC).
Amendment 1066 is authorization of 4,000 additional visas for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program.
The Rules Committee will meet early next week to decide which amendments will get votes on the House Floor. If you are so moved, please let your representative in the House know that you support these amendments to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and ask them to consider cosponsoring these amendments.
Here is a link to find your representative: Find Your Representative | house.gov Below is some sample language you can use if you chose to call or email:
Hello,
My name is _______ and I am a voter in your district. I am reaching out to you to voice my support for Amendments 731, 866, 944 and 1066 to the National Defense Authorization Act. This is important for our community as we have welcomed (for STL only) more than 1,500 Afghans to our region, the majority of whom provided support to the US Military and its allies. Many have friends and family members that likewise supported American efforts and remain stuck in Afghanistan still seeking safety.
This community has welcomed our allies with open arms. They are now our co-workers, neighbors, friends, as well as local business owners. Please consider cosponsoring these amendments in order to help our country fulfill its commitments and help maintain our community's reputation as a welcoming place for American allies.
Sincerely,
_______________
