Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) Has Obtained Federal Funds to Support Asylum Seekers.

Senior Housing Appropriations Committee Member Chellie Pingree (D-ME) has successfully fought for millions of federal dollars in the Fiscal Year 2023 House Appropriations package to help asylum seekers and Maine communities support them.  In a full House Appropriations Committee markup on Friday, Pingree shed light on the city of Portland’s ongoing financial challenges to accommodate new Mainers, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic and an influx of asylum seekers.

“I’m proud to have these new neighbors who are so willing and eager to condtribute to their new home.  The city of Portland, the surrounding towns, nonprofit and advocacy groups, are doing truly heroic work to make sure their families have the shelter and resources they need to begin putting down roots in the community,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree in her remarks to the Committee.

“Unfortunately, the situation has been exacerbated by the pandemic and housing shortages.  And the city of Portland and its partners arer seriously in need of more resources.  So, I just want to say I’m very pleased this bill adds $126 million, a sigificant resource and increase to FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which helps to fund urgent and basic needs like meals, temporary housing and transportation – things we all know are getting increasingly expensive.”

The $85,67 bilion funding bill:  ADDS $126 million for FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program, including $150 million set aside for individuals and families encountered by the DHS at the southern border; INCLUDES funding to reduce application backlogs and US Citizenship and Imigration Services (USCIS), including for refugees and asylum seekers; INCLUDES multiple provisisons on asylum seeker work authorizations.