Some members of the committee took the opportunity to tout H.R.1677, a.k.a. the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. The bill, which is now at the Senate level after being passed in the House, urges the U.S. government to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions against Syria’s dictatorial regime of Bashar al-Assad.

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Scene: Stiller, suited up in his businessman best, took to the floor as a guest speaker, along with David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee. The actor delivered remarks about the urgent humanitarian aspect of the conflict and shared his experiences from past visits to refugee camps. He discussed how refugee parents will put on puppet shows about Syria for their children, so the kids have a better understanding of their home country if they ever go back.

Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Menendez were among those who questioned Stiller, prompting him to share his insights on best practices for managing the international incident.

Sound bites: “In many parts of the world, the word ‘refugee’ has unfortunately become politicized, despite the fact that refugees are real people with real stories,” Stiller said, describing the hurdles that displaced people face. For many, difficulty in finding work means they are dependent on aid to keep their families afloat. “The reality of the humanitarian issue is these people are trying to survive until they can have a chance to go forward in their lives and provide for themselves.”