Fresh of the heels of the president’s Leaders’ Summit on Refugees last week, Washington lawmakers met Wednesday to evaluate the country’s 2017 refugee resettlement plan. Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Sessions (R-AL) brought the hearing to order with an opening statement critical of the resettlement program, citing security concerns and costs. Offering a counter narrative, other witnesses at the hearing included State Department immigration deputy Robert Crenshaw, Health and Human Services refugee resettlement program director Robert Carey, and U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service director Leon Rodriguez.

“All refugees entering our country are subject to the highest level of security check of any category of any traveler to the United States and admitted only after successfully completing a stringent security screening process,” testified Rodriguez. “All available biographic and biometric information is vetted against a broad array of law enforcement, immigration, intelligence community, and other relevant databases.”

Veterans for American Ideals founder Scott Cooper and members Emir Hadzic and Andy Slivka also attended the hearing. Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL) rebutted criticisms of refugee resettlement by highlighting Hadzic, a former Bosnian refugee and retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant.

“For those who proclaim that Muslim refugees are a threat to America, please come to know retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant Hadzic,” said the Senator. “Emir is now part of Veterans for American Ideals, a group of American veterans that support refugees. They argue that accepting refugees is not just the right thing to do, it’s important for America’s national security. [They’ve] been fighting to save the lives of Afghan and Iraqi translators—largely Muslim translators—who literally risked their lives to protect America’s troops.”

Watch the Senate Judiciary Committee honor Veterans for American Ideals leaders here.

After the hearing, Veterans for American Ideals joined Human Rights First and a host of others in partnership with the annual Refugee Congress, attending meetings with members of Congress and helping share the stories of refugees from around the country. VFAI’s Scott Cooper and Joe Jenkins escorted Refugee Congress delegates Valerie Bahige, Jean Claude Mauridi, Hadidja Nyiransekuye, and Alexis Niyonkuru to Capitol Hill, highlighting the strength and renewal that refugees bring to the United States.

“When I first set foot in [America], I told myself ‘my life starts now,’” said Mauridi, who had spent almost his entire life in a refugee camp. “Now, we are doing well, and we are helping others to do well.”

Finally, in response to Texas governor Gregg Abbott’s threats to remove the state from the federal refugee resettlement program last week due to security vetting concerns, VFAI member and Texas native Joe Jenkins penned this response in the Waco Tribune Herald.

“Under Gov. Abbott’s plan, we would shut out these heavily vetted and victimized women, children and families, signaling that the Lone Star State is unwilling to extend its famous hospitality or worse: that it’s been cowed by fear,” writes Jenkins. “That just isn’t Texas.”

Have reactions to share, or want to learn how you can be involved in our efforts to raise veteran voices in support of refugees? Find us on Facebook or Twitter, or contact us at vfai@humanrightsfirst.