Reauthorization is critical to the estimated 400.000 torture survivors residing in the United States. The city of Lincoln. Nebraska. is home to the second highest refugee population in the Nation. and a corresponding treatment center that effectively transforms the lives of torture survivors to benefit the entire community. H.R. 2017 will help ensure such critical treatment centers remain available for torture survivors nationwide by reauthorizing the TVRA. The demand for treatment is so high that federal funding had to be cut to some existing centers last year in order to open new centers. Reauthorizing the TVRA will help provide critical support to all existing centers working to restore the lives and health of many refugees. H.R. 2017 will authorize $25 million in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 to fund domestic treatment centers. $25 million over 2 years for the United States Agency for International Development. USAID. Victims of Torture Fund. and $15 million over two years for the United Nations Voluntary Fund for the Victims of Torture. which supports almost all U.S. centers. The House Energy and Commerce Committee. on which I serve. unanimously reported this legislation during the last Congress. Here are some facts underlining the importance of this legislation: The Office of Refugee Resettlement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services currently funds 27 treatment centers in 16 States. while other similar programs are funded in State health departments. Many centers do not have enough resources to meet existing demand from torture survivors in their communities. Not surprisingly. few programs engage in outreach to refugee communities since they would not have the capacity to absorb the increased client load that such outreach might generate. Consequently. many torture victims are not receiving the rehabilitation treatment they need. There has been no increase in funding levels since fiscal year 2001.
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refugees Refugee refugee