HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-14-0292City of Miami
Legislation
Resolution: R-14-0292
City Hall
3500 Pan American
Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
File Number: 14-00702 Final Action Date: 7/24/2014
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION URGING THE PRESIDENT
AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO APPROVE INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE
OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT ("ORR") TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN ORR'S CARE, IN THE AMOUNT OF TWO
HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($200,000,000.00) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014 AND A
TOTAL OF TWO BILLION EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETY-SEVEN MILLION
DOLLARS ($2,897,000,000.00) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015; DIRECTING THE CITY
CLERK TO TRANSMITA COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE ELECTED
OFFICIALS AS STATED HEREIN.
WHEREAS, the Office of Refugee Resettlement ("ORR"), an office of the Department of Health
and Human Services, which provides new populations with the opportunity to maximize their
potential in the United States; and
WHEREAS, on June 23, 2014, Hiram Ruiz, the Florida State Refugee Coordinator, notified
Florida Resettlement Agencies and service providers how the impact of its Unaccompanied Alien
Children program ("UAC") may affect other services to the refugees in Florida and nationwide; and
WHEREAS, the ORR Florida State Refugee Office anticipates that beginning in October, the
State of Florida may lose over twenty-two million dollars ($22,000,000.00) in federal funds for refugee
programs, resulting in an overall reduction of twenty-five percent (25%) to thirty-five percent (35%) in
funds; and
WHEREAS, the cut in funding would significantly impact the ability to provide services to the
refugees and have a devastating impact on infrastructure and staffing; and
WHEREAS, the number of unaccompanied children arriving in Fiscal Year 2014 has exceeded
projections, resulting in a funding shortfall in ORR's budget; and
WHEREAS, ORR has announced the plan to reprogram ninety-four million dollars
($94,000,000.00) from refugee services in order to meet the needs of UAC; and
WHEREAS, ORR notified Congress that it must reduce refugee services in order to meet the
ninety-four million dollar ($94,000,000.00) shortfall; and
WHEREAS, the UAC additional services will carry over into the next year, an estimated two billion
eight hundred and ninety-seven million dollar ($2,897,000,000.00) budget for Fiscal Year 2015 is
necessary to meet the needs of all vulnerable populations in ORR's care; and
WHEREAS, ORR and the Miami City Commission wish to urge Congress to stop this
reprogramming;
City of Miami
Page 1 of 2 File Id: 14-00702 (Version: 11 Printed On: 1/9/2018
File Number: 14-00702 Enactment Number: R-14-0292
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted and
incorporated as fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The Miami City Commission urges the members of Congress to approve increased
funding for ORR to meet the needs of all vulnerable populations in ORR's care, in the amount of two
hundred million dollars ($200,000,000.00) for Fiscal Year 2014 and a total of two billion eight hundred
and ninety-seven million dollars ($2,897,000,000.00) for Fiscal Year 2015.
Section 3. The City Clerk is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to President Barack
Obama, Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio and to the all the members of Congress.
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption and signature of
the Mayor.{1}
Footnotes:
{1} If the Mayor does not sign this Resolution, it shall become effective at the end of ten calendar
days from the date it was passed and adopted. If the Mayor vetoes this Resolution, it shall
become effective immediately upon override of the veto by the City Commission.
City of Miami Page 2 of 2 File Id: 14-00702 (Version: 11 Printed On: 1/9/2018