Letter from Bishop Cantu and Bishop Vasquez to U.S. House Representatives Smith and Eshoo regarding the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief Act (2017)

Letter from Bishop Oscar Cantu, Chair, USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace and Bishop Joe S. Vasquez, Chair, USCCB Committee on Migration to U.S. House Representatives Smith and Eshoo regarding the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief Act, January 30, 2017

As Chairs of the Committees on International Justice and Peace and Migration of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), we commend you for introducing H.R. 390, the "Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017."  

In March 2016, you and many of the bill's bipartisan cosponsors were instrumental in ensuring the passage of H. Con. Res 75, the “Genocide Resolution” that drew attention to the atrocities being committed against Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria. We appreciate that this new legislation takes the Genocide Resolution one step further and seeks to help those who have been harmed and to hold the perpetrators accountable. In particular, it is noteworthy that H.R. 390 calls for assistance for survivors of genocide and would allow faith-based organizations (such as Catholic Relief Services) that are already providing humanitarian assistance to these populations, to make use of U.S. government funding in their work. The bill also would create a Priority Two (P-2) designation so that survivors of genocide have access to apply for resettlement in the United States. 

Letter-to-Representatives-Smith-and-Eshoo-re-HR390-2017-01-30.pdf