USCIRF Congratulates Outgoing Chair, Gayle Manchin, Welcomes New Chair, Anurima Bhargava

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) congratulated its former Chair Gayle Manchin on being confirmed on April 29 by the Senate as the Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. USCIRF welcomes Anurima Bhargava to serve for the remainder of the term.

“It has been an honor and privilege working with Gayle, and we wish her well in her new role as Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission,” said USCIRF incoming Chair Anurima Bhargava. “We greatly appreciate her invaluable contributions to USCIRF, and I am humbled that my colleagues have chosen me to serve as the Chair.”

Gayle Manchin was first appointed to the Commission in 2018 by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), and was reappointed by Senator Schumer in May 2020. During her tenure, she served as both Chair (2020-2021) and Vice Chair (2019-2020). She participated in and led many USCIRF-sponsored hearings, events, and delegations, including official travel to Indonesia, Bahrain, Singapore, and Azerbaijan.

“USCIRF whole-heartedly congratulates our outgoing Chair, Gayle Manchin, on her new role,” USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins stated. “While we were appointed to USCIRF from opposite sides of the aisle, we worked in a collegial bipartisan manner and shared a steadfast commitment to promoting freedom of religion or belief for all and encouraging positive change around the world. While she will be sorely missed, we very much look forward to continuing our work under the able leadership of our new Chair, Anurima Bhargava.”

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].

The program to resettle refugees to the United States has existed since 1980, with strong bipartisan support. Earlier this month, President Biden signed an emergency declaration to speed up refugee admissions into the United States, but did not raise the ceiling from the current 15,000 person low. After receiving pushback from advocacy groups, the administration later stated that President Biden is expected to increase the refugee ceiling for this fiscal year by May 15.

USCIRF is concerned about the historically low refugee ceiling, and has long advocated for a robust resettlement program as a way for the United States to provide safe haven to some of the world’s most vulnerable refugees.  Refugee resettlement is a separate program from the process through which individuals apply for asylum at the U.S. border.

USCIRF has reviewed and made recommendations relevant to that process as well as refugee resettlement. USCIRF Director of Research and Policy, Elizabeth Cassidy, joins us to discuss both of these issues.

Check out our Feb 10, 2021 hearing on Refugees Fleeing Religious Persecution

Read USCIRF’s statement calling on the President to increase the refugee ceiling.

Featuring:

Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRF

Elizabeth Cassidy, Director of Research and Policy, USCIRF

This op-ed was originally published by TIME, on April 28, 2019.

By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Commissioner Nadine Maenza.