The bipartisan resolution – which passed out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this year – states the importance of upholding the security, stability, integration, and political representation of Iraqi ethnic, religious, linguistic, and indigenous minorities, including Chaldeans.

“Michigan has been home for more than a century to a vibrant Iraqi community – the largest outside of the Middle East,” said Slotkin. “When I traveled to the Middle East as part of a Congressional Delegation in 2022, I met with Iraqi leaders to discuss the challenges faced by their communities and what the U.S. can do to help. I took what I heard back to D.C. and got to work on this resolution, which would put the House on record as supporting the human rights and dignity of religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq. I’m grateful to the bipartisan group of Michiganders and other members who supported this bill.”

Slotkin’s resolution includes five key pillars:

1. The fundamental human right and dignity of the religious and ethnic minority communities of Iraq should be a policy priority of the United States and the international community.
2. The restoration of security, stability, and economic opportunity as well as the safe return of displaced indigenous peoples to their homeland should be a policy priority of the United States and the international community.
3. The restoration of homes, schools, churches, and other religious sites and community buildings should receive a specific and enduring budget allocation from the Iraqi Government as well as continued support from international aid donors.
4. The effective representation in the government of indigenous populations, including those who are displaced, is essential to restoring and upholding the rights of these communities.
5. The Secretary of State should support greater regional integration for minority groups in Iraq and promote opportunities for affected minority groups to achieve greater administrative autonomy within the federal structure of the Republic of Iraq.

Slotkin, a former CIA officer, completed three tours of duty alongside the military in Iraq and later continued work on Iraq policy at the National Security Council and Pentagon, including the campaign to eliminate the terror group ISIS.

In the fall of 2022, Slotkin traveled to the Middle East as part of a bipartisan delegation to the Middle East. While in Iraq, she met with leaders from Iraqi Christian communities including the Chaldeans and Yazidis.

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