Congress Passes Appropriations Bill, Restores Funding for International Poverty-Focused Assistance

Dec. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- Catholic Relief Services congratulates the Congress on protecting international poverty-focused humanitarian and disaster assistance in its final appropriations bill for FY 2012.  

The bill mitigates deep cuts to these accounts last year, restoring them by approximately 3%, to a total of approximately $19 billion. Catholics from across the country joined Catholic Relief Services in an unprecedented effort to support the life-saving work of these international accounts.

“Leaders in Congress listened to their consciences and their constituents in this historic vote,” said Bill O’Keefe, Vice President for Advocacy of Catholic Relief Services.

“Even in difficult economic times, leaders in Congress, especially the State and Foreign Operations subcommittees in Congress-- Rep. Granger, Rep. Lowey, Sen. Leahy and Sen. Graham --recognized the millions of lives saved and improved overseas with a mere 1% of the national budget,” he continued.

The funding supports life-saving programs such as providing food and shelter to victims of the drought in the Horn of Africa.  It also funds basic agriculture, water, and health programs that can lessen the effects of such disasters.  In addition, it supports migration and refugee assistance to those fleeing violence, oppression, and disasters.    

“Congress heard loudly and clearly from many Americans who, while enduring a challenging economic time themselves, asserted that as a blessed nation America must lead in responding to the neediest in the world,” O’Keefe said.

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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.crs.org or http://www.crsespanol.org.