[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 382 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 382

Urging the President to end any embargo against Haiti and to no longer 
   require, as a condition of providing humanitarian and development 
assistance to Haiti, the resolution of the political impasse in Haiti, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2002

 Ms. Lee (for herself, Mrs. Meek of Florida, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson 
of Texas, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mrs. Clayton, Mr. Payne, Mr. Conyers, 
   Mr. Cummings, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Owens, Ms. Jackson-Lee of 
Texas, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Clay, 
  Ms. Carson of Indiana, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. 
 McKinney, Mr. Towns, Ms. Watson of California, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Rush, 
 Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Fattah, Ms. Waters, Mr. Ford, 
   Mr. Scott, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Jackson of 
Illinois, Mr. Rangel, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. Clyburn, Ms. Norton, 
  Mr. Lewis of Georgia, and Mr. Watt of North Carolina) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on International 
 Relations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Urging the President to end any embargo against Haiti and to no longer 
   require, as a condition of providing humanitarian and development 
assistance to Haiti, the resolution of the political impasse in Haiti, 
                        and for other purposes.

Whereas Haiti is one of the most impoverished nations in the Western Hemisphere;
Whereas the quality of life in Haiti is increasingly desperate as HIV and AIDS 
        infections are rapidly increasing to epidemic proportions, such that 
        over 300,000 infected people have been identified and deaths resulting 
        in such infections have led to an orphan population of more than 
        163,000;
Whereas the infant mortality rate in Haiti continues to rise, and only 1 in 
        every 10,000 Haitians has access to a physician;
Whereas only 40 percent of all Haitians have access to potable water;
Whereas a dispute over the results of the parliamentary elections of May 2000 
        has led to a political impasse that is stifling the country and the 
        Organization of American States has attempted to negotiate a settlement 
        to the political impasse for nearly 18 months without success;
Whereas these negotiations have been marred by political violence, including 
        several attempts to undermine the elected government in Haiti, and the 
        economic status of Haiti continues to spiral downward;
Whereas the Government of Haiti has achieved significant progress in resolving 
        the impasse, including securing the resignation of the declared winners 
        of the disputed senate seats and reducing the terms of office of all 
        parliamentary officials elected on May 21, 2000;
Whereas a resolution adopted by the Organization of American States on June 5, 
        2001, provides that the Secretary General has the authority to normalize 
        relations between international financial institutions and the 
        Government of Haiti based upon progress to resolve the political 
        impasse;
Whereas the United States has enjoyed nearly 200 years of bilateral relations 
        with Haiti and its successive governments;
Whereas the United States has recently levied an embargo of all multilateral 
        development assistance, including loans approved by the Inter-American 
        Development Bank and ratified by the Haitian Parliament, pending a 
        resolution to the political impasse;
Whereas the Inter-American Development Bank acknowledges that a major factor 
        causing economic stagnation in Haiti is the withholding of foreign 
        grants and loans due to the political impasse;
Whereas the United States sponsored a resolution on January 15, 2002, in the 
        Permanent Council of the Organization of American States, which calls 
        for an expanded mission to Haiti;
Whereas the international community is funneling some bilateral assistance to 
        non-governmental organizations acting in Haiti and has purposely 
        bypassed any development activity with the current Government of Haiti; 
        and
Whereas a recent report from a special mission to Haiti from the Caribbean 
        Community recognized the need for a large infusion of multilateral 
        assistance and the need to work through the Government of Haiti as an 
        appropriate and necessary process to achieve basic development and 
        humanitarian goals in Haiti: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) urges the President to end any embargo against Haiti 
        and to no longer require, as a condition of providing 
        humanitarian and development assistance to Haiti, the 
        resolution of the political impasse in Haiti resulting from the 
        legislative elections of May 2000;
            (2) urges the President to direct the Secretary of State to 
        intervene directly on the behalf of the United States and the 
        people of Haiti to mediate the political impasse, to provide 
        constructive guarantees to any resolution to the crisis, and to 
        recruit positive support from the Organization of American 
        States, the European Union, the Caribbean Community, and other 
        international bodies to sustain any negotiated settlement;
            (3) urges the President to direct the Secretary of State to 
        conduct an immediate review of United States policy toward 
        Haiti, including adequate and appropriate consultations with 
        the relevant committees of Congress;
            (4) calls on the United States Agency for International 
        Development, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, 
        and the Inter-American Development Bank to convene a meeting of 
        all donors and potential donors to Haiti, with the objective of 
        launching a new and sustainable humanitarian initiative, 
        including a lending program that will help bolster the economic 
        base of Haiti; and
            (5) supports the expansion of the mission of the 
        Organization of American States to Haiti and calls on the 
        President to urge that this mission work constructively with 
        the Government and people of Haiti to advance their goals and 
        aspirations and not the objectives of other governments or 
        international organizations.
                                 <all>