Letter to Hon. Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States, and Hon. Antony Blinken, Secretary Department of State - Himes, Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Call on Administration to Address Ukraine Refugee Crisis

Letter

Dear President Biden and Secretary Blinken,
March 3, 2022
We write to call attention to the impending refugee crisis in Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and request that you brief Congress on the administration's plans to provide aid. Our NATO Allies and Partners who share a border with Ukraine are likely to experience an influx of several million refugees, and millions more will be internally displaced. The United States, together with the international community and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), must ensure that all Ukrainians fleeing their homes because of President Putin's aggressive actions are provided with adequate humanitarian support.
On February 24, President Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign country and valued U.S. partner. This follows weeks of speculation about a Russian invasion after the Kremlin moved 200,000 troops, weapons, supplies, and established temporary structures on the border of Ukraine. President Putin's violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and national sovereignty is illegal and unacceptable. We applaud you for pledging your continuous support to Ukraine and vowing to hit Moscow with escalated and punishing sanctions to deter further action.
We are days into Russia's invasion of Ukraine and already refugees are fleeing into Moldova, Romania, and Poland. We commend the thousands of U.S. troops in Eastern Europe who are preparing to help process fleeing Ukrainians. Additionally, we applaud the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) deployment of a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to respond to growing humanitarian needs. However, this cannot and will not be the end of the United States' involvement in mitigating this potential humanitarian crisis. We urge you to work with the international community to provide funding for essential aid, including but not limited to shelter, food, water, sanitation, medical care, children's aid, education, and COVID-19 supplies.
We ask that you share plans to deliver aid and update Congress on how the U.S. is coordinating with the international community and NGOs to accommodate Ukrainian refugees. We stand ready to work hand in hand with you to ensure that Congress provides any additional resources necessary to avert further catastrophe.
Thank you for your time and we look forward to an expeditious response.