[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 27 (Wednesday, March 5, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1942-S1943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 HAITI

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I had intended to come to the floor today 
and talk about Haiti, a long way from Ohio. I have had the opportunity 
to visit Haiti three times in the last 18 months. I have had the 
opportunity to meet with our Ambassador, to meet with President Preval 
in Haiti, to meet with our members of the Armed Forces that we still 
have in Haiti, doing an absolutely fantastic job. One of the nice 
things about having the opportunity to travel to other countries and to 
see what is going on is the opportunity to see U.S. troops and to see 
the tremendous job that they do. It is just one more inspiring thing a 
Member of Congress can do.
  As I said, I intended to come to the floor today and talk about what 
I think is important in regard to Haiti. We have invested $2 billion. 
We have risked U.S. servicemen's lives. We still have United States 
service men and women in Haiti. Haiti is our neighbor. What happens in 
Haiti will impact us. Haiti is not of strategic importance to the 
United States, but Haiti, because of geography, because of historical 
ties, will continue to have an impact on the United States.
  If we want to search for examples to prove this theory, we don't have 
to think back too far in recent history when we had thousands of 
Haitian boat

[[Page S1943]]

people coming across the sea, and we were faced with the horrible 
decision of what we do with them--people who were seeking freedom, 
people who were seeking the opportunity to simply provide food for 
their families, and we had to deal with that.
  So Haiti, because of its geography, is very important to the United 
States, will continue to be important, and I intend to come to the 
floor sometime within the next week to detail what I found on the trips 
I have made to Haiti and some of the specific recommendations I have. 
But because of the constraints of time, and I know there are other 
Members who have expressed a desire to speak, I will, Mr. President, 
yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEVIN. First, while my friend from Ohio is here, I thank him for 
yielding before. I appreciate that.

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