[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1108 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1108

 To require the Secretary of the Treasury to direct the United States 
 Executive Director at the Inter-American Development Bank to use the 
 voice, vote, and influence of the United States to urge the immediate 
                    resumption of lending to Haiti.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 2003

Ms. Waters (for herself, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Lee, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, 
  Mr. Owens, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Rush, and Mr. Meek of 
   Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of the Treasury to direct the United States 
 Executive Director at the Inter-American Development Bank to use the 
 voice, vote, and influence of the United States to urge the immediate 
                    resumption of lending to Haiti.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Access to Capital for Haiti's 
Development Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Haiti is being denied access to funding for development 
        projects from international financial institutions.
            (2) The Inter-American Development Bank has approved 
        $145,900,000 in loans to Haiti, including $50,000,000 for rural 
        road development, $22,500,000 for reorganization of the health 
        sector, $54,000,000 for potable water and sanitation and 
        $19,400,000 million for basic education programs. However, the 
        Inter-American Development Bank has failed to disburse these 
        loans.
            (3) Haiti could have access to an additional $317,000,000 
        in new Inter-American Development Bank loans for development 
        programs.
            (4) Haiti could also have access to a $50,000,000 Inter-
        American Development Bank loan for the investment sector.
            (5) The Inter-American Development Bank is refusing to make 
        any loans to Haiti until Haiti pays the arrears on its existing 
        debts.
            (6) Haiti cannot afford to pay the arrears on its existing 
        debts.
            (7) Haiti has been denied the opportunity to participate in 
        the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, 
        which provides debt relief to heavily indebted poor countries 
        like Haiti.
            (8) Haiti is one of the most impoverished nations in the 
        Western Hemisphere.
            (9) Haiti desperately needs debt relief and new financing 
        for development purposes.

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT THAT UNITED STATES URGE THE INTER-AMERICAN 
              DEVELOPMENT BANK TO RESUME LENDING TO HAITI.

    The Secretary of the Treasury shall direct the United States 
Executive Director at the Inter-American Development Bank to use the 
voice, vote, and influence of the United States to urge the Inter-
American Development Bank to--
            (1) immediately resume lending to Haiti, and disburse all 
        loans to Haiti that have been approved by the Inter-American 
        Development Bank; and
            (2) assist Haiti with the payment of its arrears, and 
        consider providing debt relief to Haiti.
                                 <all>