[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 165 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 165

Expressing support for temporary protected status for Haitian nationals 
    currently residing in the United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 17, 2009

  Mr. Hastings of Florida (for himself, Mr. Meek of Florida, Ms. Ros-
  Lehtinen, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Ms. 
Clarke, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Payne, Ms. Edwards of Maryland, Ms. 
Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Nadler of New York, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. 
 Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Jackson-
   Lee of Texas, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mr. 
Crowley, and Ms. Norton) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
 which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
 to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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


 
Expressing support for temporary protected status for Haitian nationals 
    currently residing in the United States, and for other purposes.

Whereas in August and September 2008, two tropical storms and two hurricanes 
        devastated Haiti and affected nearly 1,000,000 people, killing 800 
        people, internally displacing over 150,000 people, and damaging over 
        100,000 homes;
Whereas the World Bank assessed the storm damage at nearly $1,000,000,000, or 
        about 15 percent of the gross domestic product of Haiti;
Whereas this has been the worst disaster in Haiti in 100 years;
Whereas the Government of Haiti, lead by President Rene Preval, faces immense 
        political and institutional challenges, including a sharp increase in 
        crime, especially kidnapping, and the rebuilding of the police and 
        judicial institutions to address political and criminal violence in 
        Haiti;
Whereas the Department of State warns United States citizens that current 
        conditions make it unsafe to travel to Haiti;
Whereas these conditions make it dangerous and inappropriate to forcibly 
        repatriate Haitians at this time;
Whereas the Secretary of Homeland Security may grant temporary protective status 
        (TPS) in accordance with section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality 
        Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a) to nationals of a country in which environmental or 
        political events have occurred that make it temporarily unsafe to deport 
        them;
Whereas the Secretary of Homeland Security has granted TPS to nationals of other 
        countries under similar conditions, including Nicaragua and Honduras in 
        1999 following Hurricane Mitch, and El Salvador in 2001 following severe 
        earthquakes;
Whereas granting Haitian nationals TPS would preserve the $1,000,000,000 in 
        remittances sent each year to Haiti from Haitians in the United States, 
        which currently outweigh the amount of foreign assistance given by the 
        United States to Haiti and are crucial to the recovery of Haiti;
Whereas, on October 3, 2008, Haitian President Rene Preval renewed his request 
        for TPS for Haitian nationals in the United States; and
Whereas the recent political turmoil, civil crises, and environmental disasters 
        easily qualify Haiti for the TPS designation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) supports the granting of temporary protected status to 
        Haitian nationals currently residing in the United States;
            (2) supports the Haitian people and the Government of Haiti 
        as they work to rebuild from years of natural disasters, 
        economic hardship, and political turmoil; and
            (3) acknowledges that it is in the best economic and 
        security interests of the United States for Haiti to be a safe, 
        stable, and productive country.
                                 <all>