August 24, 1979 – Letter from

Amnesty International ​to Peter W. Rodino, Jr.

 

One way for private citizens and organizations to contribute to the lawmaking process is by expressing their views directly to a Congressional representative, who can then consider these comments when drafting new or revised legislation. This is one of the most powerful ways that individuals and entities alike can enhance the protection of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, because it allows these individuals and entities a way to directly voice their concerns and to influence the shaping of the laws that govern us. This can be done in many different ways, but one of the most common methods comes in the form of the written letter.

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This letter from Amnesty International regarding the Refugee Act of 1979 is an example of this process in action. Amnesty International is a non-profit organization that describes itself as “a global movement of people fighting injustice and promoting human rights.” (Amnesty International USA 2013). As evidenced by the text of the letter, Amnesty International had three major concerns with H.R. 2816, a House of Representatives version of the bill that eventually become the Refugee Act of 1980. They wrote to House Judiciary Committee chairman Peter W. Rodino, Jr. so as to (1) provide comments on the proposed definition of the term “refugee,” (2) comment on provisions relating to the forced return of refugees to a country where their life or freedom would be in danger, and (3) request that the legislative history reflect the principles used to determine priority status of refugees (specifically, the prioritization of refugees with the greatest humanitarian needs).

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Although the final version of this law did not exactly track the language proposed by Amnesty International in their first two comments, the statutory language used did ultimately reflect at least some of the concerns raised in the letter (with the primary difference being that the final law gave a degree of discretion to the President and Attorney General, respectively). The third point raised in the letter is particularly notable because it addressed the legislative history of the law, rather than the text of the law itself. Not only does this show a recognition by Amnesty International of the importance of the role played by legislative history, but, in one sense, the simple act of sending the letter in and of itself partially accomplished their goal, as the letter, and the concerns expressed therein, have now themselves become a part of the legislative history of the final law.

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Sources:

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Amnesty International USA. “About Us.” Web. Accessed March 30, 2013. <http://www.amnestyusa.org/about-us>

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United States House of Representatives. “Rodino, Peter Wallace, Jr.” Web. Accessed March 30, 2013. <http://history.house.gov/People/Listing/R/RODINO,-Peter-Wallace,-Jr--(R000374)/>

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United States Public Law 96-212, 94 Stat. 102, March 17, 1980.