Rep. Pascrell Joins Reps. Vargas & Cicilline in leading letter that seeks to increase funding for refugee related-accounts

Yesterday, Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr (NJ-9), Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51), and Rep. David N. Cicilline (RI-1) co-led a letter to the House Appropriations Committee encouraging them to increase funding for refugee assistance and resettlement programs as they seeks to conclude negotiations on the FY2016 budget. They were joined by 109 other House members in signing the letter. (Click here for the letter)

“We can show our true strength to the world by reaching out our hand to the most vulnerable, no matter where they come from or what they believe,” Pascrell said. “The United States has a moral obligation to do our part to assist in the worst humanitarian crisis of our time.”

The letter encourages the Appropriations committee to provide funding for four main accounts:

• The U.S. Agency for International Development’s International Disaster Assistance account.
• The Department of State’s Migration and Refugee Assistance and Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance accounts.
• The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement’s Refugee and Entrant Assistance account.
• The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, for the Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate account.

“The process for screening refugees is extensive and thorough, and we must ensure the resources and funding to support that process. I will continue the fight to promote, facilitate, and evaluate refugee resettlements in New Jersey and across the U.S.,” concluded Pascrell.

Rep. Vargas said, “Over 75% of those seeking refuge in the US are women and children who are desperately trying to escape the danger that has removed them from their homes and continuously threatens their lives. Our screening process is rigorous and thorough; increasing funding would aid any areas where additional support is required. Providing the additional funds needed to support several refugee-related accounts would reflect our country’s moral leadership and counter ISIS’s barbaric acts.”

Rep. Cicilline said, “This is the single worst refugee crisis since the end of the Second World War. Providing adequate funding for refugee assistance and resettlement will ensure that we thoroughly and expeditiously screen refugees in order to do our part to help those fleeing unspeakable violence. I thank my colleagues for this strong show of support and their commitment to maintaining our values as a nation.”