Preserve Refugee Resettlement and America's Ideals

As Washington moves forward with largely symbolic cuts to the federal budget, with no substantive discussion on the biggest parts of spending (tax breaks for the rich, military, entitlements), many critical human services programs are being threatened.

In February, the House of Representatives approved drastic cuts to refugee services- including a 45% decrease for Migration and Refugee Assistance, which provides overseas assistance to refugees and funds the Reception and Placement (R&P) Grant for refugees resettled in the United States; and a 10.4% decrease for the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Although the Senate rejected them, the debate is to start all over again.

Call your Senator (John Kerry 202-224-2742and Scott Brown 202-224-4543) and urge them to support strong Fiscal Year 2012 funding for refugee accounts, Office of Refugee Resettlement and Migration and Refugee Assistance

Below is background information on the budget situation, talking points to use during the call, and directions on how to get in touch with your Members of Congress. Please take a minute to make this call to your Senators , it is very important that we make our voice heard!

What We Need to Do: Please call your Senators and urge them to not cut and support strong funding for the Office of Refugee Resettlement and Migration and Refugee Assistance. Please call as soon as possible and no later than the end of next week.

Script:

- Hello, my name is [name] and I'm calling from [name of town/city]. I am the [position title] at [name of resettlement agency] in [name of city].

- I am calling to ask [Senator] to not cut and support strong funding for the Office of Refugee Resettlement and Migration and Refugee Assistance.

- My agency resettles and provides services to refugees in [name towns/cities in the member's district]. [Describe what you and your community do to support refugees and discuss the impact of cuts on funding could have on refugees in your community]

- As a constituent, I deeply care about the fate of refugees in the U.S. and our humanitarian commitment to vulnerable people overseas. Cutting these accounts will have a devastating impact on refugees and the communities hosting them.

Additional Talking Points

- The current economic/fiscal context: we understand the current economic/financial situation and understand that Congress and the Administration have to make difficult decisions in relation to the budget. We believe that cutting current level of funding for refugees would have a devastating effect on refugees resettled in the U.S. and the communities that welcome them.

- Overall funding for ORR has been chronically insufficient: ORR funding has been stagnant for decades in many programs. That means that today ORR is serving an increasingly complex and diverse population with the same amount of resources that served a rather homogenous population several decades ago.

- Supporting the public-private partnership: one of the greatest characteristics of the URSP is the partnership between the U.S. government and private organizations. Voluntary Agencies, churches, local NGOs, community groups, etc. work together to welcome refugees across the U.S. We are committed to continue our support to refugees, but the work cannot be accomplished without strong support and financial follow-through on the part of the U.S. government.

- Federal funds release pressure on state and local governments: it is important that the federal government provides adequate resources for ORR, since severely cutting funding for the program would mean additional pressure for state and local governments to assist refugees with their already dwindling budgets.

- Smart investment: Providing adequate funding for refugees through ORR to fund employment services, case management and other upfront services will save resources in the long term, reduce reliance on welfare and promote early self-sufficiency. Refugees have proven that they will be successful and contribute back to their communities if given the proper foundation to rebuild their lives in the U.S.

- Life saving assistance: Programs funded by the U.S. Government through these accounts are life saving. Without these programs, refugees will not receive necessary food, water, and medical assistance. The economic crisis has had a profound impact on the United States, but it has also had a devastating impact on extremely vulnerable populations supported by these life-saving programs. For many of these people, the assistance provided by the international community is their only source of support and last option for relief.

- Stabilizing assistance: Humanitarian assistance programs funded through this account support communities in countries of strategic importance to the U.S., such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia. Funds go towards such programs as access to economic opportunities, keeping kids in schools, and protecting and empowering women. These all serve as a crucial stabilizing presence, giving people hope for the future and supporting broader U.S. foreign policy interests