Congresswoman Lee Statement on State Department Announcement of Additional $99 Million in Contributions to UNRWA
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) released a statement following the State Department’s announcement that the United States will contribute an additional $99 million in funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):
“The Palestinian people have been hit hard by COVID-19. After years of punitive polices and the withholding of U.S. assistance under the Trump administration, today’s announcement of an additional $99 million for UNRWA is most welcome news and brings the total U.S. contribution to over $400 million since President Biden took office. UNRWA provides basic human rights such as education, health care, social services, emergency assistance and humanitarian relief to millions of Palestinians including children across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. Substantive support is imperative to the efficacy of the agency and to the United States’ credibility as a constructive leader in the region.
“As Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, I applaud this decision by the State Department to support the Palestinian people, and I look forward to working alongside the Biden Administration, and my colleagues in Congress to continue providing economic and development assistance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.