Cardin Calls on Mikulski and Appropriations Committee Leadership for Immediate, Emergency Funding to Increase U.S. Humanitarian Support for Syria, Capacity for Refugee Admissions

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today, with fellow committee members Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), along with 18 other senators called on U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Vice Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), as well as U.S. Senate Foreign Relations State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to immediately consider emergency funding to provide humanitarian relief to Syrian refugees and to increase the capacity for refugee admissions to the United States. In a letter to the committee leadership, the senators emphasized that organizations aiding Syrian refugees are on the verge of running out of money, and that if the United States and our partners fail to fill funding gaps, refugee families will lose access to basic services like food and shelter. The senators also highlighted the United States’ historical role as a beacon of hope for those fleeing persecution and violence, and – provided there are extensive background checks and vetting processes – called on the United States to welcome additional Syrian refugees to our nation.

U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) also signed the letter.

“We urge the Appropriations Committee to immediately consider emergency funding for a two-pronged strategy to provide immediate humanitarian relief and increase the capacity for refugee admissions to the United States. Organizations aiding Syrian refugees are working around the clock to provide food, shelter, medical care and education to refugee families, but these basic services are at dire risk unless the United States and our partners fill the funding gaps. Second, we must support funding to significantly increase the number of refugees screened and admitted into the United States. We welcomed approximately 200,000 refugees during the Balkan Wars, 700,000 refugees from Cuba, and more than 700,000 refugees from Vietnam. Compared with these historic numbers, we can do better than 10,000 slots for Syrian families. We cannot simply sit on the sidelines as this humanitarian disaster continues to unfold,” the senators wrote.

The full text of the letter is below:

The Honorable Thad Cochran                                     The Honorable Barbara Mikulski     Chairman                                                                      Vice Chairwoman

Senate Appropriations Committee                             Senate Appropriations Committee

United States Senate                                                   United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510                                               Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Lindsey Graham                                 The Honorable Patrick Leahy

Chairman                                                                    Ranking Member

Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations,            Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations,

and Related Programs                                                            and Related Programs

Senate Appropriations Committee                             Senate Appropriations Committee

United States Senate                                                   United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510                                               Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Cochran, Vice Chairwoman Mikulski, Subcommittee Chairman Graham, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Leahy:

Since the disturbing image of a 3-year old Syrian refugee captured the attention of the American people, thousands more children have been forced to flee with their families to escape the horrific violence of the Syrian civil war. The United States has always been a beacon of hope for those fleeing persecution and violence, and we cannot simply sit on the sidelines as this humanitarian disaster continues to unfold. 

While acknowledging the United States is the largest contributor to the global humanitarian response, we can and must do more to address the plight of Syrian refugees.  We therefore urge the Appropriations Committee to immediately consider emergency funding for a two-pronged strategy to provide immediate humanitarian relief and increase the capacity for refugee admissions to the United States.  We welcome Secretary Kerry’s announcement that the United States will raise the overall cap on refugee admissions from 70,000 to 100,000 over the next two years, but the announcement will be meaningful only if Congress provides the necessary resources.  

First, we support additional assistance to the organizations aiding Syrian refugees in the region. The World Food Program has once again run out of money to feed millions of refugees who live outside the camps, and the UNHCR appeal for 2015 is still only 37% funded. UNHCR and implementing partners such as Save the Children, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, and other local NGO’s are working around the clock to provide food, shelter, medical care and education to refugee families, but these basic services are at dire risk unless the United States and our partners fill the funding gaps.

Second, we support funding to significantly increase the number of refugees screened and admitted into the United States, with priority given to vulnerable populations such as religious minorities, women with children, and victims of torture. The United States has a long tradition of providing safe haven to refugees fleeing from tyranny, violence and persecution.  We welcomed approximately 200,000 refugees from the Balkan Wars, 700,000 refugees from Cuba, and more than 700,000 refugees from Vietnam.  Compared with these historic numbers, we can do better than 10,000 slots for Syrian families.  As always, security considerations remain paramount. All refugee applicants must continue to undergo extensive background checks and vetting of their biographic and biometric data against a broad array of U.S. law enforcement and counterterrorism databases.

The brutality and callousness of ISIL and the Assad regime are fully responsible for this humanitarian crisis. Ultimately the Syrian civil war must end.  But until that time, we can take the measures proposed above to have an immediate, yet lasting, impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Syrians – including those who will be needed to rebuild their country.

Thank you for our consideration.  We look forward to working with you to assert American leadership in addressing this humanitarian crisis.

                                                Sincerely,