Support urged for humanitarian needs in emergency appropriations

Published: 2006-03-14

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- House consideration of an emergency appropriations bill should deal with humanitarian assistance for Sudan, funding for migration and refugee programs, additional food aid and Iraqi reconstruction, House members were told in a March 7 letter from two Catholic leaders. In the letter, the chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on International Policy and the president of Catholic Relief Services reminded House members they "are called to target funds where the need is greatest and where it can be most effective." To that end, Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., and Ken Hackett of CRS, the U.S. bishops' oversees relief and development agency, urged members of the House Appropriations Committee to ensure that the legislation scheduled for action in the House March 15 supports critical needs. The letter requested attention to four areas: funding refugee, humanitarian and peacekeeping expenses in Sudan; adding to the Bush administration's request for $51.2 million to fund the State Department's Migration and Refugee Assistance account; fully funding the $350 million request from President George W. Bush for Title II food aid and adding $50 million to replenish the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust; and funding that supports "responsible transition" in Iraq.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .