Background: President-Elect Trump has nominated individuals to fill cabinet positions in his administration. These nominations now go to the Senate for confirmation. Certain Senate committees will hold confirmation hearings in which they can ask the nominees questions. We would like Senators to ask questions about refugee resettlement to pertinent nominees.
See below a list of relevant committees that are preparing for these hearings and which states have Senators on those committees. Some of the hearings have already happened, but it is still helpful for them to hear from us, since the final votes have not yet happened. Please call your Senators and urge them to ask the nominees questions about the importance of refugee resettlement.
You can say: “I’m your constituent from [STATE], and my community welcomes refugees. As you prepare for the upcoming confirmation hearings, please ask the nominees to affirm the importance of the U.S. refugee resettlement program. Resettlement is a core American legacy that extends freedom and opportunity for refugees to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.”
- HELP Committee: Tom Price, Nominee for Secretary of Health & Human Services – Jan 18
- Foreign Relations: Nikki Haley, Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations – Jan 18 & Rex Tillerson, Nominee for Secretary of State – Jan 11
- Judiciary Committee: Jeff Sessions, Nominee for Attorney General – Jan 10 & 11
- Homeland Security Committee: General Kelly, Nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security – Jan 10
Alaska: Lisa Murkowski: HELP 202-224-6665
Arizona: Jeff Flake: Judiciary, Foreign Relations 202-224-4521 & John McCain: Homeland Security 202-224-2235
California: Dianne Feinstein: Judiciary 202-224-3841 & Kamala Harris: Homeland Security 202-224-3553
Colorado: Cory Gardner: Foreign Relations 202-224-5941 & Michael Bennet: HELP 202-224-5852
Connecticut: Chris Murphy: Foreign Relations, HELP 202-224-4041 & Richard Blumenthal: Judiciary 202-224-2823
Delaware: Christopher Coons: Foreign Relations, Judiciary 202-224-5042 & Tom Carper: Homeland Security 202-224-2441
Florida: Marco Rubio: Foreign Relations 202-224-3041
Georgia: Johnny Isakson: Foreign Relations, HELP 202-224-3643
Hawaii: Mazie Hirono: Judiciary 202-224-6361
Idaho: Jim Risch: Foreign Relations 202-224-2752 & Mike Crapo: Judiciary 202-224-6142
Illinois: Dick Durbin: Judiciary 202-224-2152
Indiana: Todd Young: Foreign Relations, HELP 202-224-5623
Iowa: Chuck Grassley: Judiciary 202-224-3744
Kansas: Pat Roberts: HELP 202-224-4774
Kentucky: Rand Paul: Foreign Relations, Homeland Security, HELP 202-224-4343
Louisiana: John Kennedy: Judiciary 202-224-4623 & Bill Cassidy: HELP 202-224-5824
Maine: Susan Collins: HELP 202-224-2523
Maryland: Ben Cardin: Foreign Relations 202-224-4524
Massachusetts: Ed Markey: Foreign Relations 202-224-2742 & Elizabeth Warren: HELP 202-224-4543
Michigan: Gary Peters: Homeland Security 202-224-6221
Minnesota: Amy Klobuchar: Judiciary 202-224-3244 & Al Franken: Judiciary, HELP 202-224-5641
Missouri: Claire McCaskill: Homeland Security 202-224-6154
Montana: Steve Daines: Homeland Security 202-224-2651 & Jon Tester: Homeland Security 202-224-2644
Nebraska: Ben Sasse: Judiciary 202-224-4224
New Hampshire: Jeanne Shaheen: Foreign Relations 202-224-2841 & Maggie Hassan: Homeland Security, HELP 202-224-3324
New Jersey: Bob Menendez: Foreign Relations 202-224-4744 & Cory Booker: Foreign Relations 202-224-3224
New Mexico: Tom Udall: Foreign Relations 202-224-6621
North Carolina: Thom Tillis: Judiciary 202-224-6342 & Richard Burr: HELP 202-224-3154
North Dakota: John Hoeven: Homeland Security 202-224-2551 & Heidi Heitkamp: Homeland Security 202-224-2043
Ohio: Rob Portman: Foreign Relations, Homeland Security 202-224-3353
Oklahoma: James Lankford: Homeland Security 202-224-5754
Oregon: Jeff Merkley: Foreign Relations 202-224-3753
Pennsylvania: Bob Casey: HELP 202-224-6324
Rhode Island: Sheldon Whitehouse: Judiciary, HELP 202-224-2921
South Carolina: Lindsey Graham: Judiciary 202-224-5972 & Tim Scott: HELP 202-224-6121
Tennessee: Bob Corker: Foreign Relations 202-224-3344 & Lamar Alexander: HELP 202-224-4944
Texas: John Cornyn: Judiciary 202-224-2934 & Ted Cruz: Judiciary 202-224-5922
Utah: Orrin Hatch: Judiciary, HELP 202-224-5251 & Mike Lee: Judiciary 202-224-5444
Vermont: Patrick Leahy: Judiciary 202-224-4242 & Bernie Sanders: HELP 202-224-5141
Virginia: Tim Kaine: Foreign Relations, HELP 202-224-4024
Washington: Patty Murray: HELP (202) 224-2621
Wisconsin: Ron Johnson: Foreign Relations, Homeland Security 202-224-5323 & Tammy Baldwin: HELP 202-224-5653
Wyoming: John Barrasso: Foreign Relations 202-224-6441 & Mike Enzi: Homeland Security, HELP 202-224-3424
If asked for specific examples of questions that the committee members could ask:
- The U.S. refugee resettlement program has operated for more than 40 years, always with bipartisan support. Refugees are rigorously vetted by the Department of Defense, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, and National Counter Terrorism Center. Resettlement is critical to refugees, communities that welcome them, and U.S. diplomatic efforts on regional stability, international security and the war on global terror. Will you affirm the importance of the refugee resettlement program?
- Many U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are waiting to be reunited with an immediate family member through the U.S. refugee resettlement program. Family reunification is a fundamental human need, helps refugees integrate in their communities, and is part of U.S. obligations under the Refugee Convention. Will you affirm the importance of the U.S. refugee resettlement program, especially in the case of family reunification?
- Do you believe that immigrants from certain nationalities or religions should be barred from the United States and/or tracked / surveilled while in the United States? If so, how would you defend this position given our country’s legacy and laws regarding religious freedom, civil liberties and equal protection?
Spread the word! Go to www.interfaithimmigration.org/confirmationhearings/ for more information.