Bill to provide $50M for humanitarian assistance to migrants introduced by DC congresswoman

D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has introduced an emergency appropriations bill to provide an additional $50 million that would give humanitarian assistance to migrants, including those being bused into the District from Texas and Arizona.

The money would go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) and the funds can be used for food and shelter, among other necessities. 

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"The governors of Texas and Arizona are exploiting and harming desperate and vulnerable people fleeing dangerous situations in their home countries for political gain," Norton said. "I commend the work organizations in D.C. and the National Capital Region have done to assist these migrants, but more funding is needed to assist these families."

Read Norton’s introductory statement below:

"Today, I rise to introduce a fiscal year 2022 supplemental appropriations bill to provide $50 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) for humanitarian assistance for migrants. The funding would remain available until expended.

Since mid-April, the governors of Texas and Arizona have exploited and harmed approximately 4,500 vulnerable people fleeing desperate and dangerous situations in their home countries for political gain by busing them to the District of Columbia and New York. 

In fiscal year 2022, Congress provided $150 million to the EFSP for humanitarian assistance for migrants. As of July 21, 2022, approximately $85 million of this funding remained available. However, the busing of migrants to D.C. and New York has increased funding requests and the EFSP may exhaust its funding. 

Supplemental funding would ensure that the EFSP can continue to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill."