Call on Senator Collins
to Cosponsor AAA
129
Maine Veterans Call on Senator Collins
to Cosponsor the Afghan Adjustment Act Immediately
For Immediate Release:
November 21, 2022
Press Inquiries Contact:
staff@maine-vets-for-afghans.org
Maine - This
morning 129 Maine veterans and military service members delivered a
letter to Senator Collins calling on her to honor America’s promise to
our wartime allies by immediately cosponsoring the Afghan Adjustment Act
and ensuring it is passed into law by the end of the year. The letter
follows more than a year of work by Maine veterans – and thousands like
them across the country – to support those who were evacuated to the
U.S. from Afghanistan and to rescue Afghan allies left behind after the
U.S. military withdrawal.
Read the full letter:
Letter to Senator Collins
The Afghan
Adjustment Act will safeguard U.S. national security, help hundreds of
Afghan allies in Maine – and tens of thousands throughout the United
States – to begin rebuilding their lives, and and take some key steps in
assisting at-risk Afghan allies who were not able to escape Afghanistan
and remain in grave danger due to their alliance with the U.S. This
Bipartisan legislation has broad support from:
-
Every major veterans’ organization in the U.S. including the American
Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Team America Relief, Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and Student Veterans of
America.
- Top national security experts from both Republican and Democratic
administrations.
- Key
businesses and employers in Maine and beyond including Luke’s
Lobster and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Afghan evacuees in the
U.S. are projected to contribute nearly
2 million in taxes in their first year. Without the AAA, Afghan
evacuees contributing to Maine’s workforce will be at risk of losing
work authorization, a needless loss to Maine’s economy and
employers.
- Faith leaders
including the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America, Presbyterian Church USA, the National Episcopal Church,
and
others.
- The
Bangor Daily News editorial board.
- The rest of Maine’s Congressional
delegation.
The letter makes clear to Senator Collins that
passing the Afghan Adjustment Act immediately is a matter of national
security: “We know from firsthand experience that the support of local
partners on the ground in conflict zones is crucial to keeping U.S.
troops safe, to ensuring we achieve our objectives, and to promoting
U.S. interests. Failure to pass the AAA now will jeopardize the trust,
loyalty, and support of local partners in future conflicts. It will cost
us intel and American lives."
Read the words of Maine Veteran leaders
and Afghan allies in Maine here:
https://maine-vets-for-afghans.org/media/pass-afghan-adjustment-act-now.html
###
|
