On Thursday, December 6, The Center for American Progress, a Washington DC think-tank, hosted a panel discussion about the Iraqi refugee crises. Speakers included refugee advocate, Representative Earl Blumenauer:
Rep. Blumenauer identified the Responsibility to Iraqi Refugees Act of 2007 (H.R. 2265) as a key step toward making these commitments. The legislation would provide special immigration status and assistance to more Iraqi refugees and establish a Special Coordinator for Iraqi Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) introduced a similar bill, which Blumenauer said he expected to pass that afternoon. And parts of Blumenauer’s bill are expected to pass through Congress next week as part of the National Defense Authorization Act conference report.
Click here for a summary of the discussion and here for the video.