Soldiers in Iraq.JPG

Iraqi army soldiers of Charlie Company, 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division listen to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Leak during training at the qualification range in Iraq. (Contributed photo/US Department of Defense)

Ashkan Bayatpour, a native of Mobile, Alabama and a veteran of the United States Navy

By Ashkan Bayatpour, a native of Mobile, Alabama, a veteran of the United States Navy, and a partner with the Truman National Security Project

Right now, the United States Senate has a chance to do right by some of the allies--not countries or governments, but individuals--who made extraordinary sacrifices to aid our men and women in uniform over the past 15 years.

Congress created the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program to help a very particular kind of ally: Iraqi and Afghan translators who served and, in many cases, fought alongside our troops in their respective countries. The work these translators did was invaluable; they provided hard intelligence and cultural context to our servicemen and women as they did the hard work of navigating a war zone. And when shooting started, these translators often took up arms to defend the people they were working with--in some cases, saving American lives.

Thankfully, Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) have put forth an amendment in the Senate this week to give the SIV program a boost. As of April, fewer than 4,000 visas remained in the program for some 10,000 applicants; the measure put forward would secure an additional 4,000 visas. It isn't enough, but it's a start--and a bipartisan one at that. How could it not be? The SIV program is such a clear expression of American values: If you fight with us and risk all for what you believe in, you earn a path towards a safer and more prosperous future for your family.

It's hard to imagine why any senator would buck this bipartisan program at such a critical juncture. If the United States walks away from its commitment to those who served with our troops in battle, why should anyone in the world take American credibility seriously? How do we expect the world to take our arguments about standing up to extremism seriously if we don't have the backs of the people who do it in bravest, clearest way?

More urgently though, some of these translators and their families are marked for death by groups like the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and ISIS. If this small group of senators gets their way and blocks the SIV program, our allies could die--all because they chose to stand with Americans and for American values. This is more than a matter of national conscience or pride. Real peoples' lives are at stake.

As a veteran myself, I want the United States to honor the commitments it has made to those who served with my brothers and sisters at arms. Global leadership means living your values, and Senators McCain and Shaheen are on the right track by boosting the SIV program and giving these translators a chance at security and prosperity.

I hope to see Senators Shelby and Sessions join in this bipartisan effort to stand with those who have already stood with us.