04/10/2018 03:15 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

              HJR 30-URGE U.S. SUPPORT OF REFUGEES                                                                          
4:10:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that  the next order  of business                                                               
would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 30, Urging the United States                                                               
Congress  to reaffirm  the  commitment of  the  United States  to                                                               
promote  the  safety,  health, and  well-being  of  refugees  and                                                               
displaced persons; urging the United  States government to uphold                                                               
its international  leadership role in responding  to displacement                                                               
crises  with  humanitarian  assistance   and  to  work  with  the                                                               
international community and the  United Nations High Commissioner                                                               
for  Refugees   to  find  solutions  to   conflicts  and  protect                                                               
refugees;  and  urging the  President  of  the United  States  to                                                               
continue to mitigate the burden  placed on frontline refugee host                                                               
countries.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:10:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ANDY JOSEPHSON,  Alaska State Legislature, advised                                                               
that HJR  30 was inspired by  a Colony Middle School  student who                                                               
flew  to Juneau  during  the January-February  timeframe of  this                                                               
year, and they presented this  legislation to the House Community                                                               
and  Regional  Affairs  Standing   Committee.    This  resolution                                                               
expresses  concern, sympathy,  and  compassion  for refugees  and                                                               
displaced  persons.   Originally, the  sponsor focused  on Syrian                                                               
refugees, except  this resolution is  broader and is  designed to                                                               
reflect  this historical  moment,  the compassion  of the  Alaska                                                               
Legislature,  and Alaska's  concern for  folks who  are displaced                                                               
based upon civil strife.  For  example, he offered, their fear of                                                               
sexual   violence,   human  trafficking,   forced   conscription,                                                               
genocide, and  other horrible situations that  they may confront.                                                               
The  resolution   is  fairly   self-explanatory  and   given  the                                                               
circumstances in  Syria this week,  it is  unfortunately topical,                                                               
he opined.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:12:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL  noted that  65,600,000 people  are displaced                                                               
worldwide   and  asked   Representative   Josephson's  sense   of                                                               
obligation the United States should attempt to absorb.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON  responded that this subject  came up in                                                               
the  House Community  and  Regional  Affairs Standing  Committee.                                                               
Some people  believe that  the United States  is not  fully doing                                                               
its fair share  given its resources and capacity,  and the burden                                                               
is held  more by Western Europe,  for example, than America.   He                                                               
explained that the  intent of this resolution was not  so much as                                                               
to get into that issue, as  to simply mark this moment in history                                                               
and  note that  the people  of Alaska  and their  legislators are                                                               
compassionate people, that  they are aware of the  crisis, and if                                                               
called upon "we  would certainly lend a hand."   He said, "Beyond                                                               
being   called  upon,   that  we   would  individually,   if  not                                                               
collectively, that we  would assert ourselves and  do whatever we                                                               
can do."                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:14:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   LEDOUX  asked   Representative  Josephson   what                                                               
exactly he  wanted to see  with respect to this  resolution, what                                                               
"are we not doing that you think we should do?"                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOSEPHSON answered  that  the resolution  directs                                                               
that the United  States government do what it  can in partnership                                                               
with  the  international  community,   that  it  work  with  non-                                                               
governmental organizations,  that it  mitigate the harm,  that it                                                               
use  its resources  the  best it  can, and  that  those sorts  of                                                               
things should continue and be re-enforced.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[HJR 30 was held over.]