[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 18, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1997

                                 ______


                               speech of

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 11, 1996

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3540) making 
     appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and 
     related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     1997, and for other purposes:

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to the foreign 
operations bill, H.R. 3540. This bill contains a provision regarding 
Haiti which I, along with many members of the Congressional Black 
Caucus, oppose.
  The foreign operations bill contains a provision, known as the Dole 
amendment, which prohibits Haiti from receiving any nonhumanitarian 
assistance from the United States unless the President certifies 
quarterly that democracy is secure in Haiti. Additionally the provision 
points to the investigation of three murders in Haiti and the status of 
their investigation.
  It is unnecessary and unreasonable for the United States to require 
this certification every 3 months. Democracy is blossoming in Haiti, 
and we can point to the peaceful transfer of power there last year as a 
sign that democracy and democratic principles are spreading in that 
nation. The elections there last summer were peaceful and successful.
  This year the committee has identified three murders that they claim 
were political and suggest this is a sign of a feeble government. More 
than 4,000 murders which occurred during the time when former President 
Aristide was deposed are under current investigation, along with the 
three in question. All crimes in Haiti deserve equal scrutiny under the 
law--not just the three murders identified by the committee.
  The United States should do all we can to help solve these murders. 
But placing this unnecessary burden on the Haitian Government does not 
serve the United States or Haiti well when the Haitian investigators 
are concentrating on solving these crimes. The United States must 
continue to support the implementation of Haiti's economic 
revitalization so that we can see democracy fully mature in that 
nation.

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