Congressman Issa-Led Delegation Travels to Meet with Syrian Refugees, Regional Partners in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon

Press Release

A bipartisan delegation of House members led by Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) returned home from a week meeting with the United State's regional partners in the Middle East including leaders in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon.

The trip included stops at refugee camps in Zahle and Azraq as well as a UNHCR refugee registration center in Amman. It was an opportunity to meet with Syrian refugees and see the impact of the crisis first-hand.

In Egypt, the delegation met with Egyptian President Al-Sisi to discuss strengthening the US-Egypt relationship and to foster collaboration in confronting the threat of ISIS and other extremist groups. They also attended Palm Sunday Mass with the U.S. troops deployed in the Sinai before conducting a roundtable on economic development with top government officials and representatives from Egyptian industries.

In Lebanon, the delegation met with the Lebanese Minister of Education before visiting area schools and a refugee camp in Zahle. Schools have been some of the most-impacted resources by the refugee crisis. As many as 2/3 of refugees receive no schooling at all and, as the U.N. reports, "in Lebanon, there are more school-age refugees than the entire intake of the country's public schools" which has forced many schools to literally run around the clock in multiple shifts to accommodate as many students as possible.

Members also visited the Marine Memorial and laid flowers to pay homage to the servicemen killed in Lebanon in the '83 Beirut barracks bombing. Later, they met with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to discuss continued US support for Lebanon and efforts to help maintain stability in the country.

In Jordan, the US Representatives met with Prime Minister Hani Al-Mulki and other key officials to enhance ties between our two nations and gain valuable insight into challenges presented by regional turmoil and the continuing refugee crisis there as well. Afterward, they traveled to the UNHCR refugee registration center in Amman and visited with displaced families at the Azraq refugee camp.

The bipartisan delegation included Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Congressman Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) and Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-Va.).

Congressman Darrell Issa said, "I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to see the impact of the refugee crisis first-hand and for the chance to continue a dialogue with our partners throughout the Middle East on how we can address these challenges head on. The world is facing the largest refugee crisis of our era and it needs Americas' leadership. I look forward to continuing work with the international community, our allies, and partners the Middle East to restore stability and work together towards our common goal of eliminating the threat of ISIS and radical terror."

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