E.J. Dionne Cites the Co-Chairs: America Can Do Better for Refugees

E.J. Dionne Jr., columnist for The Washington Post, interviewed Reps. Jim McGovern and Randy Hultgren, Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, on the Trump Administration's decision to limit the number of refugees admitted for resettlement in the United States in 2019 to 30,000, down from 45,000 for 2018 and the lowest level since the refugee resettlement program was created in 1980.

"We are turning our backs on [the worst refugee crisis since World War II]," Rep. McGovern told Dionne, "when we should be exercising global leadership." "We can do better than this," said Rep. Hultgren. "These are incredible people who aren't looking for anything but a place of security. They are working hard and taking care of their families. This a part of the story that doesn't get told enough."

Dionne cited the Co-Chairs' September 19, 2018 joint statement in which they argued that "[r]efugee resettlement has been and should continue to be a cornerstone of American foreign policy. We should not be stepping back from our responsibility as a global leader in refugee resettlement, but rather stepping up to provide a safe and legal alternative for those most in need of safety ... By providing safe haven for refugees, we help to keep ourselves safe."