WASHINGTON– Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) will hold a press conference with Congressman Bill Delahunt (D-MA), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight, TODAY at 1:30 p.m. in the House Radio/TV Gallery (H-321). Hastings and Delahunt will urge Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to use a small portion of Iraq’s expected surplus to address the Iraqi refugee crisis.
Press Conference to announce letter to al-Maliki on Iraqi Refugee Crisis
Thursday, April 10
1:30 p.m.
H-321, House Radio/TV Gallery
With the increase in the price of oil, the Iraqi Government is expected to end the year with a budgetary surplus of $25 billion. This week, Delahunt joined with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), to invite other Members to co-sponsor a letter to Prime Minister al-Maliki asking that Iraq provide $1 billion of this surplus to help the displaced. In addition, Mr. Hastings, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Frank Wolff (R-VA), Chris Shays (R-CT), and Bob Inglis (R-SC) have also signed on.
At 2:30 p.m. today, Chairman Hastings, along with Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), will hold a hearing in room 1100 of the Longworth House Office Building on the Iraqi refugee crisis. The hearing will focus on the impact of the massive displacement of Iraqi citizens on Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Turkey as well as other countries in the region; the security implications of this humanitarian crisis; and efforts by the United States and others to address the plight of Iraqi refugees, including humanitarian relief, resettlement of Iraqi refugees, host country commitments, European cooperation as well as a long-term plan to address this crisis.
