RESEARCH LINKS
Issue 1: Refugee Resettlements
Congress.gov: “H.R.5210 Refugee Protection Act of 2019”
Senate.gov: “Leahy, Lofgren, Harris Lead Bicameral Refugee Protection Act of 2019”
WhiteHouse.gov: “Executive Order on Enhancing State Refugee Resettlements”
Axios.com: “Trump lowering the number of refugees permitted into U.S. to 18,000”
CNN.com: “Republican Governors Sign on to Resettle Refugees in their States”
PBS.org: “Judge Halts Trump’s Order Allowing States to Block Refugees”
Issue 2: Fuel Standards
Congress.gov: “S.Res.316 Senate Resolution Text”
Congress.gov: “H.R.978 Clean and Efficient Cars Act of 2019 Text”
EPA.gov: “Trump Administration Announces One National Program Rule”
Yale.edu: “Despite Industry Pleas, White House Halts Progress on Fuel Economy”
TheVerge.com: “Trump moves to Kill California’s Clean Car Standards”
House.gov: “House Committee on Energy and Commerce Memorandum”
CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS
Issue 1: Refugee Resettlements
- Should refugees have to go back to their country once it is safe or should they have the option of staying and requesting residency or citizenship in their new country? What about children born to refugees in that country?
- Should the U.S. accept more refugees than 18,000 a year, the limit set by President Trump? Why or why not?
- If a country is struggling to provide for its own citizens, should it take in refugees? What reasons are there for accepting or not accepting refugees?
- Most refugees live in developing countries close to the countries they come from. Why do you think the richer countries in the world do not host more refugees?
- What’s the difference between a refugee, a migrant and an internally displaced person?
Issue 2: Fuel Standards
- Do you think it’s a good idea for car and truck fuel-efficiency standards to get increasingly stricter through the years? Why or why not?
- One of the arguments for keeping fuel standards low is a bigger car (like an SUV) requires more gas and is thus safer than smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. Should we prioritize our safety over climate change? Why or why not?
- Read the “pro” and “con” quotes for fuel-efficiency standards on p. 3 of the newsletter. Decide whose opinion you agree with most and why?
- On an individual level, what can you do to limit your “carbon contribution” to the environment?
- Does the responsibility to slow down or stop climate change belong to humans? Why or why not?