Follow Up Action Requested: Thank Your Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Conference Committee For Their Support

Thanks to your tremendous response in support of the joint Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) action alert, Congress enacted the $78.5 billion Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations for FY 2003 leaving intact important provisions we were advocating for. To read the original alert, please visit the USCCB's website: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/suppactait.htm

Your advocacy efforts on behalf of issues that will have a long-lasting impact on our brothers and sisters in Iraq and other countries are greatly appreciated. Below are key issues of concern to CRS and USCCB and a summary of their fate in the final supplemental appropriations bill:

Authority to disburse funds and make policy decisions regarding Iraq relief and reconstruction.

CRS/USCCB position: Grant authority to disburse funds and make policy decisions regarding relief, refugee and reconstruction assistance in Iraq to the Department of State.

Final Bill: Due to strong opposition from the White House, Congress dropped the provision assigning the Department of State with the authority to direct Iraq relief and reconstruction. The final bill allows the President to allocate funds flexibly to five government agencies, including the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense. However, the President must notify Congress when he disburses funds to agencies other than the Department of State and USAID.

Title II Food Aid

CRS/USCCB position: Include $600 million for Title II food aid and mandatory restoration of non-emergency food aid programs for FY 2003.

Final Bill: Provides a total of $369 million in emergency food assistance, including $300 million for Title II food aid program and $69 million for the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust, a food reserve for emergency humanitarian food needs in developing countries. It also includes direction for the Administration to restore to the extent possible, $150 million non-emergency, developmental food aid.

Migration and Refugee Assistance

CRS/USCCB position: Appropriate $360 million for the Department of State's Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) and $80 million for the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) account.

Final Bill: Provides $543 million to assist refugees and internally displaced persons, including $360 million for the Department of State's Migration and Refugee Assistance program and an additional $80 million for the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) account.