Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
Senator Supported Amendment to Address National Security Risk, Require Proper Vetting for Afghan Evacuees on Parole
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven released the following statement today after voting against the Continuing Resolution (CR) because Democrats included a provision to provide REAL IDs to Afghan evacuees without ensuring proper vetting. Currently, evacuees are considered on parole until they are vetted and granted official refugee status. Providing REAL IDs to evacuees would enable them to board flights and access federal buildings without proper vetting, which is a serious risk to national security.
“I worked to secure much-needed disaster assistance for our farmers and ranchers impacted by severe drought as part of this legislation,” said Hoeven. “However, Democrats should not have included a provision that would enable Afghan evacuees to receive a REAL ID without the proper vetting. I supported an amendment that would have resolved this national security issue, but unfortunately, Senate Democrats opposed this commonsense fix.”
Hoeven voted for an amendment offered by Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) that would allow evacuees on parole to still receive regular state driver’s licenses and 18 months of resettlement benefits, while requiring the proper vetting needed to receive a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license. The amendment was not approved due to opposition from Senate Democrats.
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