Speech #1050071110

Mr. President. Senator GRAHAM has introduced. on behalf of Senator ABRAHAM and me. a 2year extension of the Refugee Act. That act is the core of U.S. refugee policy. It sets the criteria under which persons can be designated as refugees and provides funds for refugee resettlement. Last year. the United States admitted more than 75.000 refugees under the Refugee Acts criteria. In addition to determining who qualifies as a refugee. the Refugee Act allows the Department of Health and Human Services. through the Office of Refugee Resettlement [ORR]. to provide services to refugees resettled in the United States. For example. ORR provides job training and employment assistance to new refugees to help them become economically selfsufficient. ORR helps States provide English language classes. preventive health services. and cash assistance to new refugees to help them get on their feet in the United States. Refugees often arrive here terrified and with few possessions. Most have fled persecution in their home countries and left virtually all their possessions behind. These programs make a refugees assimilation into the United States a little easier. In addition to providing assistance directly to refugees. the Refugee Act makes funds available to the Public Health Service to provide overseas medical screening for U.S.-bound refugees for the protection of public health against contagious diseases. ORR also provides targeted assistance to States and counties with large refugee populations and has matching grant programs for voluntary agencies to assist States in refugee resettlement. For example. the Boston Tech Center in Massachusetts received $250.000 in discretionary targeted assistance to give refugees shortterm skills training and teach basic English and math. The International Rescue Committee in Boston received funds under the Refugee Act to provide a youth program for newly arrived Somali children. The Refugee Act is the heart of our refugee law and policy. If it is not reauthorized. the United States will send a signal worldwide that refugees are no longer welcome here. We cannot let that happen. The act deserves to be extended and I urge the Senate to approve this amendment.