On March 22, 2016, more than one hundred members of Congress joined a letter led by Reps. Juan Vargas, David Cicilline, Alcee Hastings, Ted Lieu, Bill Pascrell, and Adam Schiff to the House Appropriations Committee calling for an increase in funding for refugee assistance and resettlement programs in the FY2017 budget.
FCNL’s lead lobbyist on Human Rights and Civil Liberties Yasmine Taeb made the following statement:
“The 110 representatives who signed this letter were declaring that as a nation we must do more to help with the global refugee crisis. With more than 4.8 million Syrian refugees and millions more who have been internally displaced in Syria, the United States needs to do more to address this humanitarian crisis. The overwhelming support by members in the U.S. House of Representatives shows that fear mongering by our elected officials must end.
“We’re a country that was founded and built by immigrants. We need to uphold our values by continuing to support those fleeing violence and persecution — without regard to their race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin.”
Text of Letter:
March 22, 2016
The Honorable Tom Cole, Chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor
Health and Human Service, Education
and Related Agencies
2358-B Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member
Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor
Health and Human Services, Education
and Related Agencies
2413 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Kay Granger, Chair
Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on State,
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
HT-2, the Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Nita Lowey, Ranking Member
Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on State,
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
1016 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable John Carter, Chair
Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Committee on Appropriations
B-307 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Lucille Roybal-Allard, Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Committee on Appropriations
1016 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chair Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro, Chair Granger and Ranking Member Lowey, and Chair Carter and Ranking Member Roybal-Allard:
As you consider funding for Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17), we write to urge you to include robust funding for key accounts affecting refugees and other vulnerable populations. The Administration has proposed to resettle 100,000 eligible refugees by the end of FY17. Accordingly, we respectfully request that the Committee ensure we can meet the needs of these vulnerable communities by allocating $2.95 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Refugee and Entrant Assistance (REA) account, $3.604 billion for the Department of State’s Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) account, $100 million for the Department of State’s Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) account, $2.8 billion for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) International Disaster Assistance (IDA) account, and explore options for enhancing funding for the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Labor, Health, and Human Services and Education:
The Refugee and Entrant Assistance (REA) account in the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) appropriations bill funds the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which helps states and local communities welcome and support refugees and other vulnerable populations on their path to self-sufficiency. In addition to refugees, ORR also serves increasing numbers of unaccompanied children, asylees, Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients, Cuban and Haitian entrants, victims of human trafficking, and victims of torture. We request that Congress allocate $2.95 billion for the agency to adequately serve all of the populations within its mandate and respond to unanticipated needs.
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs:
The Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) account funds the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). This account provides overseas assistance to displaced refugees, supporting refugee admissions, and funding lifesaving services in humanitarian emergencies. The crises in Syria and Iraq continue to escalate dramatically, and there are likewise serious humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Burma, and Central American countries. Therefore, we request $3.604 billion, which will be critical to ensure that PRM can continue to service currently displaced populations while responding to numerous emerging humanitarian crises.
Escalating violence and instability in many parts of the world have placed increasing demands on the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) account—an emergency draw-down account that provides an important “safety valve” during emergencies. The ERMA authorized level has not been increased since the mid-1990s. We request the Committee fund this account at $100 million in order to enhance our country’s ability to respond quickly to unanticipated crises, and expeditious, draw-down authority provided to the Secretary of State.
The International Disaster Assistance (IDA) account funds humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons. Meeting the needs of internally displaced persons is one way to prevent the need for them to flee their countries of origin and become refugees. In order to meet these needs, we request that the Committee allocates $2.8 billion in order to meet the needs of growing numbers of persons worldwide who are displaced within their own countries, including those inside Syria and Iraq.
Homeland Security:
The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plays an important role in processing applications for refugees, asylees, and other humanitarian programs. Currently, USCIS is fee-funded by applicants for non-immigrant visas and other immigration applications. Thus, USCIS faces the challenge of increased backlogs and delays in the processing of refugee and asylum applications. We urge appropriators to work with USCIS to identify whether additional funds could enhance USCIS’s ability to ensure timely processing of refugee and asylum applications, including the carrying out of security screening.
The United States remains deeply committed to safeguarding the American public from terrorists, just as we are committed to providing refuge to some of the world’s most vulnerable people. These goals are not mutually exclusive, and can be pursued in harmony. Our first priority is the safety of the American people. That’s why, even as the United States accepts more refugees—including Syrians—we do so only after subjecting them to the most rigorous screening and security vetting of any category of traveler to the United States.
We deeply appreciate your support for these services and your consideration of these requests, as we seek to provide this critical funding to serve and protect some of the world’s most vulnerable people and maintain our legacy as a global humanitarian leader.
Sincerely,
Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA)
Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC)
Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA)
Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA)
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH)
Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA)
Rep. Donald Beyer Jr. (D-VA)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)
Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA)
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA)
Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA)
Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA)
Rep. John Carney (D-DE)
Rep. André Carson (D-IN)
Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA)
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX)
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)
Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI)
Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA)
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-MI)
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN)
Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA)
Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT)
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL)
Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA)
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO)
Rep. John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA)
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI)
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD)
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL)
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA)
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
Rep. Janice Hahn (D-CA)
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY)
Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA)
Rep. William Keating (D-MA)
Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-MA)
Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)
Rep. James Langevin (D-RI)
Rep. John Larson (D-CT)
Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI)
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA)
Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA)
Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM)
Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY)
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA)
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Rep. James McGovern (D-MA)
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY)
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-FL)
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA)
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX)
Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ)
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)
Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ)
Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA)
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI)
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)
Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO)
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY)
Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA)
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL)
Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD)
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Rep. Robert “Bobby” Scott (D-VA)
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)
Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ)
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA)
Rep. Mark Takai (D-HI)
Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA)
Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY)
Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA)
Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX)
Rep. Filemon Vela, Jr. (D-TX)
Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN)
Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT)
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY)
