[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 30, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H3558-H3564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HELPING THE PEOPLE OF HAITI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Burns). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 7, 2003, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) is 
recognized for 60 minutes.


                             General Leave

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the subject of my special order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, tonight is another opportunity to once again 
highlight the on-going humanitarian crisis in Haiti and the urgent need 
for action.
  Many of us together have worked to send a message to this 
administration that it is time to revisit the United States policy 
toward Haiti. We have become increasingly aware of the humanitarian 
crisis which is brewing in Haiti. Much of this crisis can be directly 
pinned to the fact that the United States' eight financial institutions 
which we are part of are blocking social sector resources from reaching 
that small island nation. In fact, the United States representative to 
the Interamerican Development Bank directed the bank's president to 
block disbursal of four social sector loans to Haiti. These loans had 
already been approved by the bank's board of directors and were 
ratified by the Haitian parliament over 3 years ago.
  Now, considering Haiti's current crisis, this action is inexcusable. 
While our government levies our political weight with the international 
financial institutions and the Organization of American States, 
Haitians continue to suffer. Further, this delayed delivery of 
international humanitarian aid to Haiti is fostering instability and 
anarchy in their struggling democracy.
  Haiti's miserable poverty is indisputable. We can no longer bury our 
heads in the sand on this issue. Without strong leadership, the crisis 
will continue to spiral out of control. Already, the national rate of 
persons infected with HIV and AIDS in Haiti has risen to 300,000, or 4 
percent of the entire population, leaving 163,000 children orphaned. 
Haiti makes up 90 percent of all HIV-AIDS cases in the Caribbean. And 
Haiti's health problems go well beyond HIV and AIDS. The infant 
mortality rate has increased to 74 deaths out of every 1,000 babies 
born, and now five mothers will die out of the same 1,000 babies born.
  We must remember that many diseases know no boundaries, so it is in 
our strategic interest to help Haiti heal itself. The doctor-to-patient 
ratio has fallen to 1 to 11,000, leaving very little chance that sick 
persons in the rural areas will ever get even the basic health care. 
125 Haitians die daily of illnesses. While most of the western world 
has eradicated diseases like polio, health officials report that many 
Haitians do not have the resources to pay for life-saving vaccinations 
for their children.
  This is just morally unacceptable. Together, we must urge the 
President to do the right thing in Haiti. Jared Johnson, the IDB branch 
director for Haiti, said you cannot run a country through non-
governmental organizations. What does this mean? It means we cannot 
continue to funnel money into USAID and then blame the government of 
Haiti for lack of resources and poor social services.
  Our government and the international financial institutions should

[[Page H3559]]

not continue to raise the political bar in order for Haiti to receive 
basic humanitarian assistance. It is unacceptable to simply stand by 
and watch a season of misery inflict pain, suffering and death on human 
beings right here in our own neighborhood.
  We must address this injustice. We must release the IDB funds to 
Haiti and direct the international financial institutions to reengage 
and reengage now. It is our moral imperative, and it is our commitment.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Meek) a 
member of the Committee on Armed Services, a Member of the Haitian Task 
Force, and one who has led our efforts in terms of immigration issues 
and other issues that he so passionately cares for.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairperson of the 
Congressional Black Caucus Task Force on Haiti for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I must say that I concur with the gentlewoman's 
comments. I know that many of us in this Congress feel very strongly 
about U.S. involvement as it relates to the way of life in Haiti. What 
I can tell you is what this Bush administration has done is it has 
created an atmosphere of conflict.
  What I mean by that is the fact that we are saying we want Haitians 
to stay in Haiti, but we are not creating an environment for Haitians 
to be in Haiti with a democracy that is functional because it has the 
resources to be able to work towards providing the kind of services 
that Haitians need.
  I will say this: Haiti is the poorest country in the Western 
Hemisphere, and it is very disturbing to see this democracy in our 
hemisphere, the poorest country, and we are standing in front of 
dollars that were committed years ago to Haiti.
  I would also say something else that is very disturbing, and that is 
why I cannot understand the policy. If we want Haitians to stay in 
Haiti, if we want to be able to have a strong government in Haiti, if 
we want to be able to provide drinking water and humanitarian efforts 
in Haiti, then we should not be standing in front of these dollars.
  On the other hand, we should not have unfair immigration policies 
when Haitians are trying to seek political asylum due to the fact that 
Haiti is struggling right now, and we have conflict there, political 
conflict in Haiti.
  General Ashcroft, the U.S. Attorney General, put forth a decision 
just this past week saying that when Haitians are migrating to the 
United States, that they would be indefinitely detained. This goes 
against decisions that have been made in the past. Immigration, the INS 
in Miami, has said we should detain Haitians, even though an 
immigration judge said they should be paroled while they are waiting 
for their political asylum case to be heard. But we decide to detain 
and incarcerate Haitians, thinking that that will stop a mass migration 
to Florida or to the United States under the auspices of homeland 
security.
  I just want to share tonight with my colleagues that being on the 
Committee on Homeland Security, being on the Committee on Armed 
Services, I have not yet heard or seen an FBI report or a CIA report to 
show any level of or any indication of terrorism in Haiti, or any 
member of its government that condones terrorism in Haiti, or the 
Haitian people in general.
  I can say that it is quite confusing, since we have a situation in 
South Florida that could very well, if we are going to live by that 
policy and use that policy to detain Haitians unfairly, this may very 
well set forth a policy as it relates to those that are trying to seek 
political asylum from the island of Cuba. If the Cuban Readjustment Act 
was brought onto this floor today I would vote for it, because it is 
the right thing to do. A dictatorship is in Cuba, and I think it is 
important that we should allow people who want to migrate towards 
liberation to be able to have that chance.
  But Castro sided with Saddam Hussein. Cuba is also a communist 
country, and every day we have individuals that are migrating to South 
Florida.
  We should be very careful as a country when we start using homeland 
security against individuals who cannot harm this government. I think 
it is very important for not only the Attorney General's office to hear 
this, but the Bush administration to hear this, that we cannot do 
nothing on both ends. We must do something on one of the ends, and 
provide aid now for Haiti, humanitarian efforts for Haiti.
  I voted on a voice vote for the supplemental for Iraq. I feel that it 
is our obligation to go in and do the things we are doing in Iraq right 
now. But I think it is our obligation to do some of the same things in 
Haiti. And the Haitian people have had to hold off.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just say to the gentlewoman from California 
(Chairman Lee), I just want to say representing the largest 
concentration of Haitians in the United States, I think it is so very, 
very important for this government to realize not only its humanitarian 
effort, but its effort towards fairness and equality. I think it is 
important that this administration stop standing in front of the 
dollars that have already been committed. These are not new dollars, 
the dollars that have already been committed to Haiti.
  General Ashcroft's decision did more than stop those dollars that 
should have been going to Haiti years ago. He has also put questions in 
the minds of the humanitarian community that has been doing work there. 
They may feel Haiti is a terrorist state, which is not true. It is 
important that we fight against those forces.
  So, I want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) for 
yielding me time tonight, but I just want to say that our efforts have 
to continue. I want to commend the gentlewoman's efforts for being a 
stalwart in standing up on behalf of not only what America stands for, 
but being able to help those countries and individuals, those countries 
that are democracies, those countries in need, and Haiti is in need.
  So the message tonight is to release the dollars to Haiti or the 
resources to Haiti that have already been committed, and, two, fairness 
in immigration policies.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would like to thank the 
gentleman from Florida for his leadership and for participating tonight 
in highlighting the very discriminatory policies and the very 
inconsistent policies in terms of our immigration policies as they 
relate to Haiti, and also for his leadership on each and every issue 
that he is providing to this Congress during his first 2 years. I thank 
the gentleman for participating with us.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to my good friend the gentleman 
from North Carolina (Mr. Ballance). The gentleman serves as a member of 
the Committee on Small Business and a member of the Committee on 
Agriculture and has been involved in many, many issues since he has 
been in Congress. He is a new Member who has hit the ground running.

                              {time}  2015

  Mr. BALLANCE. Mr. Speaker, HIV and AIDS infections represent a 
crippling medical crisis worldwide, and it is for that reason I want to 
sort of focus my remarks on that particular subject in the context of 
the subject we are discussing this evening. This problem is so 
pervasive around the world, but as we focus the microscope on the tiny 
Nation of Haiti, it is indeed an epidemic. I regret very much that 
America has not done its share to address this issue. In fact, for so 
long, most of us have been missing in action.
  But there is a soldier who has been standing and fighting this battle 
for so many years. She is the chair of the CBC Brain Trust on Global 
AIDS and HIV, and that is the distinguished gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Lee). I say to the gentlewoman, I do not wear a hat this time of 
year, but I take my hat off to you for standing so tall.
  A lot of people, as we look back on this issue, were afraid to even 
speak out, were afraid to get involved. As I look back on my own career 
and on my own life and the life of my fore parents, I recall that it is 
a long journey from Africa to America. It is a long journey from 
slavery to freedom. But history tells me that my ancestors got on a 
boat involuntarily somewhere on the West Coast of Africa. We have been 
so journeying in America now for more than 400 years. Is it not amazing 
that we, as ancestors of those who were taken, now find ourselves in a 
position to provide some help and, hopefully, to provide some financial 
assistance and,

[[Page H3560]]

hopefully, to lead our government to say that, in fact, we are 
compassionate beyond words, but we are compassionate in deeds. That is 
what it is going to take to address this issue.
  So I have come today to add my voice to those who are crying aloud 
for attention and help on the subject of HIV and AIDS in this small, 
tiny Nation of about 8 million people in Africa.
  We all have an obligation to make a contribution. Even though we may 
be healed of whatever ailment may have afflicted us, I believe we have 
the obligation to turn back and say ``thank you.''
  We all remember the story from Luke, chapter 17 when the 10 lepers 
were passing by and Jesus was on the scene. And they asked for some 
help. And when they were healed, they went on their way, but one, and 
only one, turned back to say thank you. Jesus asked the question, what 
happened to the other nine?
  As Members of this great body, in these historic halls of the United 
States, I am sure sometimes my colleague asks the question, where are 
the other 434? Well, there are a few of us here today to stand with the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) to say, keep on fighting. To say 
that help is on the way, we believe, and we thank all who have joined 
in this recent struggle, including our President. I hope he is genuine 
in his assessment that he is going to try to make funds available. I 
hope we can convince some other nations who are concerned about our 
grain because of this very issue and the generic factor in our grain; a 
lot of times we can help others by helping ourselves. We can reach out 
to help this Nation and other nations. We can also help our farmers who 
have excess grain.
  America is a great Nation. I am proud to be an American. But when we 
stand up to help others, our true greatness comes out. I believe on 
this issue, history will judge us harshly if we do not respond to this 
critical issue, not only in this country, but in particular, in a poor 
country where the income is so low, maybe $60 a year, that they have 
not the resources to address this problem. We must add our voice. We 
must turn back and say ``thank you'' by our actions and by our deeds.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman for his 
very kind and generous and very humbling remarks, and also for his real 
leadership, and his real and honest commitment to those in need, 
whether here or abroad. I thank the gentleman for his comments.
  Let me now yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) whose 
leadership on the Committee on International Relations and on the 
Committee on Financial Services is making quite a difference in terms 
of the reordering of our domestic and our foreign policies.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I want to thank my 
colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, the Chair, the gentleman 
from Maryland, (Mr. Cummings), for organizing today's Special Order on 
Haiti. I want to salute the members of the Haitian Task Force and my 
good friend and colleague who is from California and shares the 
Committee on International Relations and the Committee on Financial 
Services with me, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), for her 
outstanding leadership and tireless commitment to the people of the 
Nation of Haiti and in combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic wherever it 
raises its ugly head. The Nation indeed owes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lee) a debt of gratitude.

  There is a saying that all politics are local. And for me, Haiti is a 
local political issue. I am proud to represent the constituents of the 
sixth congressional district of New York which has one of the largest 
Haitian American communities in America.
  But that is not the only reason why the Haitian people are important 
to me and why the Nation of Haiti is important to America. Haiti is 
important to me because America cannot and should not continue to have 
a foreign policy towards Haiti, which is one of the poorest nations, if 
not the poorest nation, in our hemisphere, a foreign policy which, in 
many ways, fails to support the rights of the Haitian people for 
democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity. This administration 
cannot talk with credibility and moral clarity about willingness to use 
our political, economic, military, and diplomatic foreign policy 
instruments in the name of spreading America's universal values 
globally. Yet, we only apply it selectively when it is in our national 
interests.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of Haiti are a proud people, a people who 
have a long history of being at the forefront of struggles against 
slavery and for independence against European colonialism in this 
hemisphere; a history which connects the people of Haiti with African 
Americans. In 1791, Haitian slaves initiated a successful slave revolt 
against France. The Haitian slaves ousted Napoleon and by 1804, the 
island became the first black independent nation. At first, our Nation 
did not recognize Haiti as an independent Nation out of fear that Haiti 
could serve as an example to others to fight against any country which 
practiced slavery. It was not until 1862 that the United States finally 
granted Haiti diplomatic recognition and sent noted abolitionist 
Frederick Douglass as America's Consular Minister to Haiti.
  But as we know today, for many developing nations, political 
independence from their former colonial masters did not automatically 
translate into stable democracies, economic independence, and 
sustainable development. Haiti, like many post-colonial developing 
nations, has struggled with internal civil wars and political 
instability. The people of Haiti have been dripped in decades of 
structural violence, dictatorship, human degradation, and economic 
poverty the likes of which are an affront to humanity.
  While the reasons for such sufferings are complex, the fact that it 
exists in today's world of wealth and technology right here in our 
hemisphere is something that we cannot ignore. We cannot ignore that 
our immigration policy treats Haitians differently from other 
immigrants seeking to escape political violence. We cannot ignore that 
our foreign policy regarding Haiti has become tied to partisan 
politics. We cannot ignore that Haiti faces an HIV/AIDS epidemic and 
this administration has played a role in hindering international 
economic assistance to Haiti because we cannot come up with a policy 
approach that balances the needs of the Haitian people with our 
requirement that assistance be used properly.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to say that if America can muster 
the political will and mobilize billions of dollars in resources to 
wage a war thousands of miles away from our shores, what about Haiti? 
When will America mobilize the same kind of resources and political 
will to wage a war against poverty, against disease, against human 
suffering right here in our hemisphere? If such rights and values are 
truly universal, Haitians deserve nothing less. We can do more to 
support the people of Haiti so that they can reclaim their human 
dignity. We can and we must.
  Again, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), my friend, 
for her tireless effort, commitment, and hard work.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) 
for his very eloquent statement and his kind remarks, and also for 
reminding us of the history in terms of the connection to our own 
country and the fact that we do have many Haitian Americans here in our 
own country who are concerned about their country and have such 
representatives as the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) who so ably 
represents a diverse population of people.

                              {time}  2030

  Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentlewoman from Southern 
California (Ms. Watson), who has a wealth of experience as an 
ambassador, as a Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services 
Committee in the State of California, and one whose wisdom and counsel 
we all look to on so many issues.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California. We 
are also very proud of the gentlewoman and her leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I see next to her the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands (Mrs. Christensen), who was part of our entourage that went to 
Haiti, and had been there before. She helped to point out the problems 
and to analyze them while we were there.

[[Page H3561]]

  I want to give another thanks, too, to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Rohrabacher). I was sitting in my office listening to his 
presentation. He talked about American democracy and that we were not 
really ready yet, because we had to realize that we had some problems 
in this country. We had enslaved a large group of people who make up a 
tremendous part of our population today.
  He also said that we are going to have to correct that which is 
broken. This is what we come together to talk about, a nation that is 
broken in our own hemisphere.
  Mr. Speaker, I am appalled by the unsubstantiated allegations made by 
the United States Attorney General, John Ashcroft, with respect to 
Haiti. He claimed that the Pakistanis, the Palestinians, and others are 
using Haiti as a staging point for trying to get into the United 
States. What a ridiculous statement.
  I would ask him, has he been there, Mr. Attorney General? If not, he 
needs to go. He needs to scour every single part of that island nation. 
After what he is going to see he will be declaring another war, and 
that is on poverty, on starvation, on the fact that the people there 
have nothing; and we are allowing that to continue in this hemisphere.
  Even the State Department's consular officers and officials are 
puzzled by his remarks. Jorge Martinez, a spokesman for Ashcroft's 
office, could not immediately say where the Attorney General got the 
information. Martinez then directed inquiries to the Department of 
Homeland Security, and a Homeland Security spokeswoman redirected 
questions right back to Martinez.
  Mr. Speaker, according to the State Department, Haiti is not on the 
United States' terrorist watch list. Why is, then, the Justice 
Department and the State Department, our Department of Homeland 
Security, amending this list?
  Haiti, a nation of 8.3 million people, is one of the most 
impoverished nations in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth poorest 
country in the world. The unemployment rate is estimated to be around 
60 percent, the literacy rate is approximately 45 percent, and 90 
percent of all HIV and AIDS infections in the Caribbean are in Haiti.
  The current U.S. policy towards Haiti is one that discourages travel 
between the two countries. There is a de facto embargo on loans and 
grants from the multilateral development banks. Assistance from the 
United States Government has been put on hold in order to leverage 
change in the present political structure of the Haitian Government.
  I say to the Attorney General, he needs to go and talk to the 
President. He needs to understand why he sent his fiscal people over 
here to Washington, D.C. to explain how they have developed their 
budget. He needs to understand why he is working on getting a police 
force put together, and why he has not formulated a court.
  Remember, the past regimes were corrupt and there are many corrupt 
people still lurking around, so he has to be careful who he gives power 
to. That, indeed, takes time.
  In effect, our current policy towards Haiti in the name of humanity 
promotes poverty and inhumanity. For example, on July 21, 1998, the 
Haitian Government and the IDB signed a $22.5 million loan for phase 1 
of a project to decentralize and reorganize the Haitian health care 
system. The funds would be used to construct low-cost community health 
centers, train community health agents, and purchase medical equipment 
and essential medicines. The ultimate objective of phase 1 was to 
reduce the high infant mortality rate, reduce the high juvenile death 
rate, and reduce birth rates.
  This health loan, as well as close to $150 million in humanitarian 
loans, has been blocked by the United States-led embargo against Haiti. 
This in itself is an inhumane policy.
  It is time to stop this war on Haiti. External aid is essential to 
the future economic development of this nation. Comparative social and 
economic indicators show Haiti falling behind other low-income 
developing countries since the 1980s. Mr. Speaker, we cannot let our 
neighbor continue in this downward spiral.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for her 
comprehensive statement, for her clarity on our government's policy as 
it relates to Haiti, and for bringing forth the facts of some very 
recent revelations with regard to the Attorney General which hopefully 
we will get some answers to.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentleman from Baltimore, 
Maryland (Mr. Cummings), the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus 
who has demonstrated for many, many years prior to coming to Congress, 
and now here in the United States Congress, his leadership on a myriad 
of issues.
  I thank the gentleman for pulling this Special Order together and for 
ensuring that the Congressional Black Caucus is central to all of the 
policy debates that we engage in here in the United States House.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to 
me. I also thank her for consistently standing up.
  I thank the Congressional Black Caucus, a group of 39 men and women, 
as I have often said, who are ordinary people called to an 
extraordinary mission. In the process of doing the extraordinary, they 
have become extraordinary and have made it clear, Mr. Speaker, to God 
that the lives they live are not their own.
  Consistent with that, we come here tonight to speak on behalf of 
Haiti. I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) for her 
leadership in initiating and organizing the Congressional Black 
Caucus's Special Order tonight urging the international community to 
let Haiti live.
  Mr. Speaker, for several years now the Members of the Congressional 
Black Caucus have come to the floor of this great House to speak out on 
behalf of the 8.3 million people of Haiti, to draw attention to the 
unnecessary and horrible circumstances that they are forced to endure 
every day.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of Haiti are suffering and dying. They are 
suffering and dying because of the seemingly sheer indifference to 
their plight. In just the last week, the United Nations reported that 
only 46 percent of Haiti's population has access to clean drinking 
water, and 56 percent of the Haitian population suffers from 
malnutrition in 2003. Fifty-six percent of 8.3 million people is 
4,648,000 human beings, nearly as many people as the populations of 
Idaho, Mississippi, and the District of Columbia combined.
  Mr. Speaker, denying the most basic human needs, such as food and 
water, is almost the equivalent of a death sentence by a judge or a 
jury. Unfortunately, for several years now the United States Government 
has made this situation worse. Our government, Mr. Speaker, has 
unfairly and unnecessarily linked humanitarian assistance to Haiti with 
trying to change and to pressure the current government in Haiti to 
make concessions to the opposition party as it relates to domestic 
politics.
  How can we allow over 4 million people in that country to live in 
utter poverty while we play politics? Is not the argument about the 
suffering of the people the same argument that many of my colleagues on 
the other side of the aisle made as it relates to Iraq? It is 
imperative that we release the humanitarian assistance for the people 
of Haiti so they may simply just live another day.
  Mr. Speaker, last week the United Nations also made a plea that I 
will second tonight and I know all the Members of the Congressional 
Black Caucus would second, too. The plea is that the international 
community immediately make funds available to help stem this 
humanitarian crisis in Haiti. Mr. Speaker, the United States of America 
is the richest country in the world and must answer that plea. We must 
help our neighbor, and we must help our neighbor now.
  How will future generations judge our country when the history of our 
relationship with Haiti is written? We know the suffering. Members have 
heard a little bit about it already tonight. Think about the children, 
both here in America and in Haiti. What are we telling them by our 
actions?
  The life expectancy in Haiti is 49 years. The unemployment rate is 60 
percent. The infant mortality rate is 74 deaths for every 1,000 live 
births. Ninety percent of the HIV/AIDS infections in the Caribbean are 
in Haiti. There are

[[Page H3562]]

over 200,000 children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. I could go on and on and 
on.
  The fact is, Mr. Speaker, we have to do better. We must release those 
humanitarian assistance loans, and we must begin a new relationship 
with the country and the people of Haiti. The Congressional Black 
Caucus will not rest until we do. We will continue to advocate for 
justice at home and abroad.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland once again 
for his leadership, but also for laying out the facts in terms of why 
we are here tonight. I thank the gentleman for putting his all into 
making sure that we understand that this is an emergency, that we 
should do the right thing, and that our policies are really resulting 
in the dire humanitarian crisis that we are seeing in Haiti.
  I thank the gentleman again for his leadership. I appreciate his 
being here this evening.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, if the gentlewoman would yield for one 
second further, we see the President talk about the urgent situation in 
Iraq and how he wanted to do all that he did. As the gentlewoman 
probably well knows, we just allocated some $80 billion.
  Here we have a small country simply trying to survive, having 
drinking water and sanitation. It makes us wonder sometimes. As one 
author said, it makes me want to holler and throw up both my hands.
  Ms. LEE. I would say that $146 million is a mere drop in the bucket 
and would save many, many lives. It would get the country of Haiti back 
on track in terms of its development.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands (Mrs. Christensen), a leader on many, many issues; a woman who 
is a physician who chairs our Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain 
Trust, and who is leading the charge for universal health care.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding 
to me. It is a pleasure to be here with her.
  I just had to come over and join the gentlewoman on the floor here 
tonight because the problems of Haiti and the obstacles that we have 
been facing together that the gentlewoman has led us through so 
steadfastly continue to plague that country and cause suffering to the 
millions of people who live there. So it is important for us as a 
caucus to stand here with the gentlewoman tonight and once again to 
call on our colleagues and the President of these United States to let 
Haiti live.

                              {time}  2045

  Last week I traveled to the eastern end of Hispaniola and there on 
that side, and it is so different, even when you just fly over the 
island. It turns from gray to green. There I found a struggling but 
overcoming people, where jobs were being created, standard of living 
was being raised, children were being educated, the health care system 
was ever improving.
  It was my second time in the Dominican Republic but I have been to 
Haiti many times, and it troubles me deeply that this situation is so 
startling different compared to that of the neighbor on this same 
island in the Caribbean of which I am a part. And why should this be? 
Because the people of Haiti have accepted democracy that we helped to 
bring to their nation, and they have accepted its promise. Though 
imperfect, that democracy is new, and building democracies take time.
  As I am sure this country will find out in Iraq, but perhaps we will 
be a bit more patient there than with the people of Haiti because we 
certainly have not been patient or supporting of their efforts to make 
democracy work. The reason for the difference is clearly that our 
country, the United States of America, has stood in the way of allowing 
the people of Haiti to grow, to thrive and to actually allow the 
democracy that we so are so honored to thrive in this country of poor 
but proud, hard-working and spirited people of African decent.
  We are here tonight again to say let Haiti live, first, by releasing 
the loans that are needed to build their sanitation, transportation, 
health and educational infrastructure, and also by fully supporting the 
OAS mission there, whose responsibility it is to ensure the changes 
that we claim to seek in their judiciary and their police system and in 
their electoral process.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to say thank you to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lee) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) who 
have both led this fight for their faithfulness and steadfastness and 
the support of Haiti and their work on its behalf. We have under their 
leadership talked to people at Treasury. We have talked to leaders at 
USAID. We have talked to folks at the OAS. We have talked to the 
international lending institutions. I think we have done what we can. I 
guess we could do more. But we have done the things that have been open 
to us to do. There is no excuse for what this country is doing by 
holding back these so badly needed funds. As the gentlewoman said, 140 
something million dollars is nothing to this country, but it means 
everything to the people of Haiti.
  What Haiti is asking for is what has been done for every other 
country in this region that has been similarly situated. There is no 
reason for it to be treated different. Mr. President, our brothers and 
sisters are suffering, many are dying. And we are asking you once again 
to let that money go, to let our brothers and sisters go and to let 
Haiti live.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from the 
Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for her very passionate and very 
clear statement, and also for making sure that on all of our HIV/AIDS 
initiatives, that the Caribbean is part of that effort. And it is 
because of the gentlewoman that now we hear the President and others 
talk about sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean and other parts of the 
world as being in need in terms of our resources and our assistance. So 
I thank her again. And, yes, we have done something, just our small 
efforts. We are going to move forward. Hopefully we can do more. And I 
believe tonight with her help and with all of those here, with the CBC 
and other Members of Congress, sooner or later the administration is 
going to wake up and realize that this is a political fight that they 
really do not need to have.
  Haitian-Americans care about this. All Americans care about this and 
we have got to get those loans released.
  Now, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Detroit, our dean 
and the chair of the Haitian task force, one who has provided 
leadership on so many issues and who has beat the drum for so many 
years on Haiti and our very cruel policy towards that country, the 
gentleman from Detroit, Michigan (Mr. Conyers).
  (Mr. CONYERS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to report a new bill that has 
been introduced by 16 Members of the House and the Senate to create 
employment in the Haitian textile industry by giving that country the 
opportunity to become a garment production center. It amends the Trade 
and Development Act of 2000 by granting duty free status to Haitian 
apparel articles that are assembled or knit to shape from countries 
with whom the United States has a free trade agreement or a regional 
agreement. And it departs from current law, which only allows duty free 
status to Haitian apparel articles if the articles are made from U.S. 
fabrics or yarn.
  It would be a win/win proposition for our American workers because it 
would encourage the immigration of jobs from other parts of the world 
back to our hemisphere. I would like Members to know that this measure 
has been referred to our House Committee on Ways and Means. And at this 
point, Members should know that in addition to the junior Senator from 
Ohio, Mr. DeWine, the senior Senator from Florida, Mr. Graham, we have 
in the House the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman), myself, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Jim Davis), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Goss), the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Meek), the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. 
Norton), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Crane), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley), the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Hastings), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-

[[Page H3563]]

McDonald), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens) and the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Watson).
  This is a positive piece of legislation. We will be conferring with 
the ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means for its hearings 
promptly and hope that we can move it forward. It is sponsored in both 
bodies of the legislature and we feel very confident that this measure 
will be an important beginning economic legislative initiative of which 
there will be more to come.
  Tonight, I also rise with the rest of the Congressional Black Caucus 
to encourage my colleagues in Congress to support the Haitian people as 
they struggle to rebuild their nation. Not only does Haiti play an 
important role in the world community, but it is also strategically 
significant to the United States; particularly because it is located 
only 410 miles from the nearest U.S. shores. Further, historically the 
Haitian people's fight for freedom has been an inspiration to oppressed 
people throughout the globe. In 1804, the people of Haiti triumphed 
over colonial powers by gaining their independence and establishing the 
first black nation in the Western Hemisphere.
  Nearly two hundred years later, the people of Haiti are engaged in a 
battle to preserve their way of life and their nation. Haiti is one of 
the most impoverished nations in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth 
poorest country in the world, where life expectancy is only 49 years. 
The unemployment rate is approximately 60%, only 45% of the population 
is literate, and half of the population earns $60 or less per year. In 
addition, the country of Haiti has been devastated by the AIDS 
epidemic. 90% of all HIV and AIDS infections in the Caribbean are in 
Haiti, and due to the spread of the disease, 163,000 children have been 
left orphaned. Furthermore, the infant mortality rate is alarming, with 
75 deaths per 1,000 births. Given the statistics I have mentioned, it 
is not surprising that tuberculosis remains a major cause of adult 
mortality and there is only one doctor for every 10,000 people in 
Haiti.
  Although Haiti is located in our backyard, we continue to endorse a 
policy that prevents the return of economic stability and democracy of 
Haiti. Instead of supporting the flow of aid to Haiti in order to 
resolve the political impasse, the U.S. has adopted a policy of 
embargos to punish the Haitian government and people. The U.S. 
government has the power to veto the disbursement of loans to Haiti 
from financial institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, and Inter-
American Development Bank. To the detriment of the people of Haiti, the 
U.S. government, specifically the Departments of Treasury and State, 
has exercised this authority. For example, the Inter-American 
Development Bank has not released $146 million in aid to Haiti, which 
was initially approved by the IDB Board of Directors. It is more 
distressing that in the interim, Haiti has been forced to pay arrears 
payments to maintain its status with the IDB.

  The Congressional Black Caucus as well as many Members of Congress 
are concerned about the humanitarian crisis and political situation in 
Haiti. Particularly, the caucus has worked to assist the people of 
Haiti by introducing legislation such as the Haitian Economic Recovery 
Opportunity Act, the Haiti Aid in Transition Initiative, and the Access 
to Capitol for Haiti bill. We also met with officials from the World 
Bank, IMF, IDB, and the Departments of State and Treasury to advocate 
that these institutions release badly needed funds. Further, we have 
supported economic initiatives, such as the Harding Enterprises 
proposal for a Hilton Hotel in Haiti, and worked to modify the 
Millennium Account, so that more African and poor countries like Haiti 
can access it. Lastly, the caucus has hosted a variety of forums, 
briefings, and braintrusts on Haiti, and is working on other proposals 
to assist the people of Haiti.
  The Congressional Black Caucus is committed to aiding the people of 
Haiti in their struggle for democracy, the rule of law, and economic 
stability. I ask that this Congress support realistic policies that 
will help the people of Haiti, instead of destabilizing their nation.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for his 
statement and for providing this information with regard to another 
piece of legislation that we know will let Haiti live, and, hopefully, 
we will be able to build co-sponsorship and support for your 
legislation so we can have a hearing and move the bill to the floor and 
to the Senate and then to the White House.
  Let me, in closing, just reiterate some of the facts we heard tonight 
and why members of the Congressional Black Caucus and other Members of 
Congress want to see Haiti live and want to see Haiti move forward into 
the 21st Century as a new democracy who we can support in a way that we 
know we should.
  First of all, Haiti is the most impoverished nation in the Western 
Hemisphere. Haiti accounts for 90 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases in the 
Caribbean. HIV and AIDS infections have approached epidemic 
proportions. Over 300,000 infected people have been identified and 
deaths from HIV and AIDS have left 200,000 children orphaned. It is 
estimated that over 12,000 people in Haiti are living with HIV/AIDS. 
Between 150,000 to 350,000 children are AIDS orphans.
  Haiti's infant mortality rate is staggering. It is 93 deaths per 
1,000 live births. For every doctor in Haiti, there are 10,000 people. 
Tuberculosis remains a major cause of adult mortality. Cases of TB in 
Haiti are more than 10 times as high as those in other Latin American 
countries. Only 40 percent of Haitians have access to clean water, 
drinking water. The life expectancy rate which we heard earlier, I 
believe from the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), is 49 years of 
age. More than 75 percent of the population lives in abject poverty. 
The unemployment rate is approximately 60 percent. The literacy rate is 
approximately 45 percent. And half of the population of Haiti earns $60 
or less, that is $60 or less per year, not per day but per year. The 
total expenditure on health per person is about $54 compared to about 
$4,400 in the United States and $483 in Mexico.
  So with those kind of statistics, there is no way that our country 
can morally do what it is doing in terms of blocking the release of the 
$146 million. There is no way with these kinds of numbers and this kind 
of data, this kind of human misery and tragedy right next to us, that 
our efforts should be about blocking the release of loans that had been 
negotiated 3 years ago. That is outrageous. I do not even understand 
how we can believe that could even be half way right to do.
  I think I have a couple more minutes, Mr. Speaker, I would like to 
yield to my colleague from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) who has an 
additional statement he would like to make in the short time we have 
left.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to again thank the 
gentlewoman and thank the caucus. It has been said over and over again 
that the Congressional Black Caucus is the conscience of the Congress. 
But I have often said that we are the conscience of the country and of 
the world. And what we are doing tonight is pleading with the President 
and those who control the purse strings of this country to reach out 
and lift up a small country that is merely trying to survive.
  I have often said that the most powerful thing that we can do is help 
children become all that God meant for them to be. And we heard 
speeches from this floor over and over again coming from the Bible 
about what we should be doing for our brothers and our sisters 
throughout the world. And this is just a small part of our efforts to 
say to the world, we will not allow, we will not stand by and allow 
people, our neighbors, in fact, to simply perish and live in the way 
that they are living. And I do appreciate the gentlewoman's leadership 
on this issue, consistently standing up, and again I am very 
appreciative of the Congressional Black Caucus for standing up.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, we are turning the heat up on this. We have 
been nice and we have played many, many roles in trying to let Haiti 
live. And we are going to become even more aggressive on this because I 
think after what we have heard tonight, I think the people in our 
country are going to begin to question our policies and why we are 
holding up $146 million. What that means in light of the fact that we 
are, yes, we should be doing this, building a universal health care 
system in Iraq and providing quality public education for people in 
Iraq. And yet, here in a country right next door and in our own country 
we cannot find the resources to help people of African decent. And that 
is a very important point, I think, that I want to leave tonight with 
in this body.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman [Representative 
Barbara Lee] for the time, and I applaud her efforts to draw attention 
to the needs of the Haitian people.
  Haiti is the fourth poorest country in the world. Half of the 
population of the country earns no more than $60 per year. Haiti has an

[[Page H3564]]

unemployment rate of about 60% and an illiteracy rate of only 45%. Only 
40% of all Haitians have access to potable water. Tuberculosis cases in 
Haiti are ten times as high as those in other Latin American countries, 
and 90% of all HIV infections in the Caribbean are in Haiti.
  The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is denying Haiti any access 
to loans for development assistance. Haiti has already had $145.9 
million in development loans approved by the IDB. These loans include 
$50 million for rural road development, $22.5 million for 
reorganization of the health sector, $54 million for potable water and 
sanitation and $19.4 million for basic education programs. Haiti could 
also qualify for an additional $317 million in new loans for 
development projects, as well as a $50 million investment sector loan. 
However, the IDB is refusing to consider Haiti for any additional loans 
and has not even disbursed the loans that have been approved.
  The IDB is effectively denying Haiti access to critical development 
assistance. Furthermore, Haiti is deeply in debt and has also been 
denied the opportunity to receive any debt relief for its existing 
debts.
  The reasons provided by the IDB and the U.S. government concerning 
the suspension of lending and assistance to Haiti shift from day to 
day. None of the purported explanations provide any justification for 
withholding this vitally needed aid. While the IDB and the 
Administration dither, the people of Haiti suffer and continue to live 
in poverty.
  On March 5, 2003, I introduced H.R. 1108, the Access to Capital for 
Haiti's Development Act. This bill would require the United States to 
use its voice, vote and influence to urge the Inter-American 
Development Bank to immediately resume lending to Haiti, disperse all 
previously approved loans, assist Haiti with the payment of its 
existing debts and consider providing Haiti debt relief. The Access to 
Capital for Haiti's Development Act would allow Haiti to build roads 
and infrastructure and provide basic education and health care services 
to the Haitian people. This bill currently has 24 cosponsors.
  The United States is now spending billions of dollars to rebuild 
Iraq. Earlier this month, this Congress passed a Supplemental 
Appropriations Act that contained $1.7 billion to rebuild Iraq's 
infrastructure. That bill included funds for health care services for 
13 million Iraqis and financed the repair or reconstruction of 25,000 
schools, 20,000 houses and 3,000 miles of roads in Iraq. The bill also 
contained assistance for Colombia, Afghanistan, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, 
and the Eastern European countries of Poland, Hungary, the Czech 
Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia and 
Bulgaria.
  Debt relief for Iraq is being discussed by officials of the Paris 
Club of creditor countries. Some Members of Congress have even 
suggested that France, Germany, and Russia can best contribute to the 
reconstruction of Iraq by the forgiveness of Iraq's debts.
  Haiti is a deeply impoverished country on an island just off our 
shores. We cannot provide assistance to countries all over the world 
while ignoring the needs of people so close to our border. It is time 
for the United States and the Inter-American Development Bank to resume 
lending to Haiti and provide debt relief and development assistance to 
this impoverished country.
  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, today, like many members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, I am moved to speak about the humanitarian 
and economic situation of the people of Haiti. It is no secret that the 
people there are suffering greatly. Haiti is the poorest country in the 
Western Hemisphere with roughly 70 percent of its 7 million population 
unemployed and 80 percent living in poverty. HIV/AIDS is devastating 
the country, with roughly 1 in 12 Haitians infected with HIV and the 
Center for Disease Control predicting 44,000 new HIV/AIDS cases this 
year. Additionally, AIDS has orphaned over 200,000 children, and that 
number is expected to increase to 350,000 over the next ten years.
  While there are many explanations for the current situation in Haiti, 
it is clear that the Haitian government and international community 
disagree as to the cause and the solution. Regardless of who is to 
blame, the people of Haiti continue to suffer and I believe that it is 
time for their suffering to end. We must provide assistance to provide 
jobs and hope for the people of Haiti.
  It is for this reason that I, in conjunction with Congressman John 
Conyers, Jr., introduced the Haitian Economic Recovery (HERO) Act, 
which would help in moving Haiti towards economic stability by 
providing labor and trade opportunities through investment in the 
apparel and other assembly industries. For similar reasons, I 
cosponsored the Haiti Aid in Transition Initiative and Access to 
Capitol for Haiti bills offered by my colleagues Congresswomen Barbara 
Lee and Maxine Waters. Both of these bills urge that previously 
approved loans, totaling $146 million dollars in humanitarian 
assistance, be released to Haiti.
  I sincerely believe that the opportunity for change is ripe in Haiti 
and that an opportunity still exists to overcome the obstacles that 
have blocked the economic assistance so desperately needed by Haiti to 
relieve its humanitarian crisis. I know that this requires that the 
Haitian government resolve the alienation of the international 
community by further demonstrating that it is on the road to resolving 
its political and human rights concerns. I believe that it is still 
possible for both the U.S. and Haitian governments to work together to 
meet these goals. I will continue to do what I can to support the 
delivery of food, medicines, and other essentials to the people of 
Haiti that I know are desperately needed.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity 
with my colleagues on the Congressional Black Caucus, to speak against 
the United States' unfair treatment of the people of Haiti.
  Haiti is one of the most impoverished countries in the western 
hemisphere and the fourth poorest country in the world. There are 8.3 
million people residing in Haiti.
  The people of Haiti are also facing a severe medical crisis as a 
result of their poverty. Haiti is the home of 90% of all HIV/AIDS 
patients in the Caribbean. Over 200,000 Haitian children will be 
orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Child mortality rates in Haiti are also 
excessively high. For every 1,000 births in Haiti, 74 infant deaths 
will occur.
  The social conditions in Haiti are as deplorable as the medical 
condition. Of the millions of Haitian residents, only 46% have access 
to clean drinking water. Furthermore, 53% of all Haitian residents are 
malnourished.
  Despite our close proximity to Haiti, and the widespread publication 
of the social and medical plight of Haitian residents, the U.S. 
government has insisted on blocking humanitarian aid. The U.S. 
government is attempting to shape the political landscape in Haiti to 
the severe detriment of the innocent people of Haiti.
  The United States government owes Haiti substantial funds in foreign 
aid. Substantial loans have been negotiated for the people of Haiti. 
Some estimates have the loans valued at as much as $146 million 
dollars. The United States government is delaying the disbursement of 
these funds to advance their political aims. While the U.S. government 
stubbornly maintains these restrictive policies the people of Haiti are 
suffering and dying.
  The U.S. government has promised Iraq $80 billion in aid to rebuild 
their war torn country. The people of Haiti have suffered as well. But 
instead of providing much needed aid, the U.S. government blocks 
humanitarian efforts and refuses to honor outstanding loans.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a disgrace that our Congress stands by while the 
people of Haiti suffer and die. I join my colleagues on the 
Congressional Black Caucus in imploring the U.S. government to let 
Haiti live.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________