A group of 46 Senators (43 Democrats and 3 Republicans) wrote to Biden to urge him to create a special humanitarian category for Afghan women leaders.
We and our staff are receiving regular reports regarding the targeting, threatening, kidnapping, torturing, and assassinations of women for their work defending and promoting democracy, equality, higher education, and human rights. While we welcomed the expansion of the eligibility requirements for Special Immigrant Visas and the creation of the Priority 2 category in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, we must also protect those women who might fall through the cracks of the U.S. Government’s response.
We greatly appreciate your efforts to help save the lives of Afghans who have advanced U.S. and Afghan joint interests over the last generation, standing for peace, democracy, and equality. We are all in agreement that we owe them our unqualified support.
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The three Republican senators who joined with the Democrats were Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
Biden Should Make Getting Female Leaders Out Of Afghanistan A Priority
There are thousands of Americans that must be brought home, but these Afghan women are in mortal jeopardy. History shows that the Taliban, which was one of the world’s worst regimes for abusing women the last time that they were in power, will kill many of these women once the US is gone.
Much has been rightly made of the fate of interpreters and translators who worked with the US, but women in even more danger than some others.
It would be great if Congress were in session to pass legislation and be a partner to the administration at this time, but since the White House is on their own, they need to make it a priority to give these women refugee status and get them out of Afghanistan.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
