New York City— Voice for Refuge Action Fund today re-released scorecard rankings for every Member of the House and Senate based on an evaluation of their public statements, congressional actions, oversight letters, and legislative votes to support at-risk and vulnerable Afghans and our Afghan allies. Original scores released in August 2022, on the anniversary of the withdrawal, did not include an evaluation of the recent introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act. The new scores reflect positive changes in scores and ranks for Members of Congress who supported the Afghan Adjustment Act in the House and Senate. 

“Bipartisan support for the bicameral introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act is critical if we hope for this legislation to succeed. We are grateful for the efforts of Democrats and Republicans to introduce this legislation,”  said Meredith Owen, Director of Policy and Advocacy. “While we had hoped that the Afghan Adjustment Act would be added to the 2023 Omnibus spending bill currently under consideration, we know that there are many champions in the House and the Senate who will continue working to build support for passage of the AAA. Our work supporting Afghans still in Afghanistan and those now in the United States is far from over.”

Congress had – and continues to have – an important role during the withdrawal, relocation, and resettlement of thousands of Afghans and their families in August of last year. Voice for Refuge completed a comprehensive research process to score and rank every acting Senator and Representative, evaluating actions prior to August 2021 as well as public statements and actions taken in the subsequent months through June 2022,. Members were scored on a 20 through -15 scale and assigned one of the five potential rankings of Champion, Supporter, Ambivalent, Anti-Resettlement, or Extremely Anti-Resettlement based on their score. 

Voice for Refuge is the first 501(c)4 organization created to advance pro-refugee policies at the national, state, and local level and to hold elected leaders accountable to upholding America’s legacy of welcome. Voice for Refuge is educating the public about the benefits of refugee resettlement, advocating for pro-refugee policies in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures, and increasing civic engagement among refugees through non-partisan voter education. Voice for Refuge will also promote the representation of refugees in government by supporting former refugees and pro-refugee candidates running for office.

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