{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-garc-a-espaillat-write-appropriations-subcommittee-on-homeland", "Norton, Garc\u00eda, Espaillat Write Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security to Request $50 Million in Assistance for Migrants Bused to D.C., New York City and Chicago", "2022-09-09", "2022", "2022-09", "Democrat", "House", "DC", "Eleanor Holmes Norton", "N000147", "norton.house.gov", "norton", "https://norton.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Congressman Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda (D-IL), and Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) sent a letter, signed by 20 other members of Congress, today to Chairwoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) and Ranking Member Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) of the House Subcommittee on Homeland Security Committee on Appropriations requesting that the upcoming fiscal year 2023 (FY23) continuing resolution (CR) provide $50 million above the enacted fiscal year 2022 (FY22) level to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) for humanitarian assistance to migrants.\n\n\"In a cynical political stunt which has exploited both vulnerable migrants and D.C., the governors of Texas and Arizona have bused thousands of migrants to D.C., Chicago and New York City in the last several months,\" Norton said. \"I introduced a bill to provide $50 million in assistance for D.C. to aid the migrants in the current fiscal year, and Rep. Garc\u00eda, Rep. Espaillat and I are now requesting an additional $50 million for fiscal year 2023. The funds will be used to provide humanitarian aid through the EFSP program.\"\n\n\"Playing politics with the lives of these immigrants is dehumanizing and cruel, but not unexpected from the xenophobic, fear-mongering politics of Governor Abbot,\" said Garc\u00eda. While Chicago remains committed to welcoming these new arrivals, we must ensure their food, shelter and other basic needs are covered. The arrival of these migrants at the border underscores the urgent need to address the root causes of migration and how U.S. policies have contributed to the problem. In the meantime, we must focus on assisting these women, men and children as they arrive in our cities.\"\n\n\"As Texas Governor Greg Abbott continues to play political games with thousands of migrant lives, our response must be swift and robust to ensure that sanctuary cities have adequate resources to provide humanitarian assistance for displaced individuals seeking asylum here in our nation,\" said Espaillat. \"When thousands of migrants began to arrive to New York City, we welcomed them with open arms and connected them to viable resources. Our request for this emergency funding will be put to even greater use in helping bolster programs vital in our efforts in providing aid and assistance for the vulnerable individuals and families seeking our support at this critical moment.\"\n\nThe full letter follows.\n\nSeptember 9, 2022\n\nThe Honorable Lucille Roybal-Allard The Honorable Chuck Fleischmann\n\nChair Ranking Member\n\nHouse Subcommittee on Homeland Security House Subcommittee on Homeland Security\n\nCommittee on Appropriations Committee on Appropriations\n\n2006 Rayburn House Office Building 2006 Rayburn House Office Building\n\nWashington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515\n\nDear Chair Roybal-Allard and Ranking Member Fleischmann:\n\nAs negotiations begin on the first fiscal year (FY) 2023 continuing resolution, we write to request that the bill provide $50 million above the enacted FY2022 level to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) for humanitarian assistance to migrants.\n\nSince mid-April, the governors of Texas and Arizona have exploited and harmed approximately 10,000 vulnerable people fleeing desperate and dangerous situations in their home countries for political gain by busing them to D.C., New York City and Chicago.\n\nThe EFSP provides federal funding for food, shelter and other necessities. In FY 2022, Congress provided $150 million to this program 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., New York City and Chicago and resettlement in cities like Boston has increased funding requests across the Northeast and the Midwest. Without additional funding, the EFSP may exhaust its funding.\n\nThis funding would ensure that the EFSP can continue to provide humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of all migrants.\n\nSincerely,\n\n/s/\n\nEleanor Holmes Norton\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nJes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nAdriano Espaillat\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nJamaal Bowman, Ed.D.\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nAnthony G. Brown\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nTony C\u00e1rdenas\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nVeronica Escobar\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nRa\u00fal M. Grijalva\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nHakeem Jeffries\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nMondaire Jones\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nCarolyn B. Maloney\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nJames P. McGovern\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nGrace Meng\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nJerrold Nadler\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nMarie Newman\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nChellie Pingree\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nAyanna Pressley\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nMike Quigley\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nJamie Raskin\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nJan Schakowsky\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nAlbio Sires\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nJuan Vargas\n\nMember of Congress\n\n/s/\n\nNydia Vel\u00e1zquez\n\nMember of Congress\n\nCustomarily, agencies can only spend the money provided in a continuing resolution at the same rate at which the money was spent in the previous year. However, because the demand for emergency food and shelter funding has significantly increased from last year, the White House requested that FEMA be allowed to spend the money as needed.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-garc-a-espaillat-write-appropriations-subcommittee-on-homeland"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9985747747123241, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}