Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1158) to provide women and girls safe access to sanitation facilities in refugee camps. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all…
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1158) to provide women and girls safe access to sanitation facilities in refugee camps.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1158.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1158, the Refugee Sanitation Facility Safety Act of 2021.
Mr. Speaker, according to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees, by the end of 2020, there were at least 26 million people worldwide living as refugees, the highest number ever recorded.
As people who have been forced to flee their home countries because of persecution or because of violence, refugees are amongst the globe's most vulnerable populations. To make matters worse, these people must often settle in areas that are inadequate in terms of necessities such as access to water, shelter, and sanitation.
Simply put, the conditions that refugees regularly endure are unacceptable. People should not have to surrender their access to sanitation in exchange for their own safety.
That is why I support the Refugee Sanitation Facility Safety Act. This bill would ensure that refugees have safe and secure access to sanitation facilities, with a special emphasis on women, girls, and the most vulnerable populations.
By providing for safe and secure sanitation facilities, this bill will not only improve the health and safety of tens of millions living in refugee settlements, but it will also allow these same people to focus more of their energy and ingenuity into rebuilding their lives.
I thank my colleague from New York, Representative Grace Meng, a tireless champion for the rights of vulnerable people, women, and girls, for authoring this legislation.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.
Mr. Speaker, this is lifesaving legislation. By helping ensure that women and children, who make up the majority of refugees around the world, have access to safe and secure sanitation facilities, this body will dramatically improve the health and quality of life of millions of people who have already suffered so much.
Again, I thank my friend, Congresswoman Meng, for introducing this invaluable legislation. I urge my colleagues to give it their full support, and I yield back the balance of my time.
