Members say: “Maintaining the PRM is a valuable investment in the shared security and prosperity for our global community and contributes to fostering stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere.”

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) led a letter to Department of State Secretary Rex Tillerson opposing the proposed elimination of the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM). Forty-two members of the United States House of Representatives joined the letter.

“As our global community experiences the highest levels of displacement on record, with more than 65,000,000 people around the world forced from their homes, the assistance and services provided by the PRM is needed now more than ever to address the global crisis at hand. Eliminating the PRM bureau and cutting vital funding to refugee assistance programs will send a deeply troubling message to refugees and international partners around the world of the U.S. commitment to humanitarian assistance,” the Members of Congress wrote.

As a nation that continues to benefit greatly from the immeasurable contributions of migrants since our founding, the members urged Secretary Tillerson to reaffirm our commitment to providing humanitarian assistance and to protecting the rights of migrants and refugees at home and abroad.

“Eradicating the contribution provided by the PRM to support humanitarian assistance and refugee resettlement efforts globally will not only impact our humanitarian goals, but will also negatively affect our partners and their ability to address the present global refugee crisis. It is imperative that we deliver on our promises and work diligently with these international organizations, as well as with non-governmental organizations to develop sustainable solutions to the largest refugee crisis facing our global community since World War II,” the Members of Congress added.

###