[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 25, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H628-H630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              HAITI CRISIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bishop of Utah). Under a previous order 
of the House, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to 
rise to join my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus for what I 
think is one of the more important presentations to this House and to 
our colleagues and to the Nation, and that is, what is the role of the 
most powerful democracy in the world if it is not to look just a few 
miles to the south to be able to engage with a long-standing ally, in 
fact an ally that stood shoulder to shoulder with the Founding Fathers 
of this Nation and bled on our behalf so that we might be free. Today 
we find ourselves standing alongside of our Haitian brothers and 
sisters seeking justice and freedom for them.
  I want to thank the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus for 
his leadership and my many colleagues who have spent hours upon hours 
working to secure the freedom of the Haitians. As mentioned, those 
Members, from the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens), to the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Payne), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) and the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), working with all of us in our 
respective responsibilities, have stood for the cause of justice, but 
also for saving lives.
  Mr. Speaker, this is no time for silence because silence will only 
render a death sentence to every Haitian who seeks freedom in this 
century.
  I am saddened by the fact that it seems there are inner workings in 
the State Department and other places that, rather than promote the 
democratization and the existence of the democracy of Haiti, there 
seems to be an undermining of a duly elected democratic government. The 
meeting today, as called by the Congressional Black Caucus because of 
the emergency crisis in Haiti, first with the Secretary of State and 
Dr. Rice, was certainly a door opener, but it was clear that we needed 
to meet with the President of the United States. Tonight I thank the 
President for this meeting, and I hope that out of the meeting and what 
was presented to the President in seriousness and in the backdrop of 
the impending crisis and bloodshed in Haiti, in Port-au-Prince, that he 
will act now in the next 24 hours.
  Mr. Speaker, we are only 650 miles away from Haiti off the coast of 
Florida. Right now in those waters is a boat of refugees, more expected 
to come. The Congressional Black Caucus, with its expertise, gave to 
the President the instructions, and it should not be viewed as 
dominance. It should be viewed as collaboration.
  It is imperative that military assistance go to Haiti now because 
what the people in Port-au-Prince are facing is

[[Page H629]]

an insurgence of violent thugs with guns and M-16s, while they are 
raising their hands and their fists and clubs and sticks. There will be 
bloodshed in the streets.
  We need a humanitarian corps that will allow safe water and food to 
come in now. You can see the film all over the airwaves of the United 
States, mothers holding babies in their arms, banging on the gates of 
the United States Embassy which is safe by the 50 marines that are 
there.
  Can we do more for the Haitians? It is imperative that we gain the 
moral high ground by talking to the Canadian officials, the French 
officials, CARICOM and our allies around the world to join us in 
stopping the bloodshed in Haiti.
  It is important for the American people to understand that no action 
will create thousands and thousands and boatloads of Haitians coming to 
this shore for survival, and I know that the American people do not 
want to see the continued death of Haitians as they drown in the waters 
off the coast of Florida. That is what will occur.
  In addition, what we need to do is to join in supporting the 
legislation of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Meek) to provide 
temporary protective security for the Haitians that may be coming to 
this country. More importantly, we need also, Mr. Speaker, to reform 
the immigration laws that will allow those Haitians who are fleeing 
because of political persecution to come to these shores, as do their 
Cuban brothers and sisters. Mr. Speaker, we can do no less.
  Mr. Aristide accepted the peace plan that was presented by the U.N. 
Security Council and the United States, but the opposition, the 
insurgents, have not. Why are we condemning a man that was elected 
democratically, stepped down, allowed a new President, has come back 
and has indicated that he will end his tenure in 2006? I hear tell that 
there is a proposal to select some random ministerial person in the 
government, some member of the judiciary, ex-member of the judiciary 
percolating in the Secretary of State's office or the Secretary of 
State or the State Department. Mr. Speaker, that will not work. That 
person has no base of support, and those who are supporting the 
President, President Aristide, will go into the streets. Insurgents 
will take over, and it will be immediate collapse.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time now for us to be heard, the Congressional 
Black Caucus. This is a mercy plea. It is imperative that we save the 
lives of those there, military assistance now and humanitarian aid. We 
thank the President, and we expect and hope to hear from him and the 
administration within the next 24 hours.
  Mr. Speaker, I will insert my full statement at this point in the 
Record.


               ``am i my brother's keeper?'' genesis 4:9

  1. Perhaps one of the more thought-provoking questions in the Bible 
is that one asked by Cain: (a) Cain had killed his brother because God 
had accepted Abel's offering, but not his own--Gen 4:3-8; (b) when the 
Lord inquired concerning Abel, Cain's response was: ``Am I my brother's 
keeper?'' (Gen 4:9).
  The answer is, Mr. Speaker, ``yes we are.'' They are our brothers and 
we must be their keepers. I rise this evening to once again revisit the 
escalating political crisis in Haiti. I, along with members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) met with President George Bush, 
Secretary of State Colin Powell, and National Security Advisor Dr. 
Condoleeza Rice to discuss the immediate need for the establishment of 
a humanitarian zone with foresight in Haiti. I also want to mention the 
leadership of Ranking Members Charles Rangel and John Conyers for re-
emphasizing that this was an issue of life and death.
  We stressed to President Bush that the United States must support 
democracy and that the rule of law is paramount. Instead of political 
ideologies, we need to preserve the innocent lives in the region where 
over 70 have been killed and dozens wounded to date. Violence, chaos, 
and anarchy cannot be allowed to oust the democratic government.
  The deadly uprisings in this war-torn nation come at the hands of the 
same factions that ravaged Haiti several years ago. Reports show that 
two of the rebel leaders are the most notorious torturers of the death 
squads, having already earned a reputation of infamy in a massacre that 
took place before Jean-Bertrand Aristide returned to power.
  Louis-Jodel Chamblain is a former military leader who once 
orchestrated the most recent coup d'etat in Haiti in 1991 with a brutal 
paramilitary group. Guy Phillipe, a charismatic former soldier and 
loyalist to President Aristide, fled Haiti 3 years ago in exile to the 
Dominican Republic to escape charges of drug-dealing and treason. 
Phillipe and Chamblain crossed the Dominican border back into Haiti a 
week ago to join their gang of former police and soldiers.
  We cannot allow innocent Haitians to die at the hands of thugs who 
want to thwart the establishment of democracy. We hope that, after our 
meeting, the President will call for an affirmative plan to respond to 
the Opposition Party's rejection of peace proposals offered by the 
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of American States 
(OAS). Our acquiescence and inaction will soon suggest support of the 
opposition; therefore, it is time that we acted to demonstrate our 
strong commitment to democracy, constitutional government, peace, and 
the rule of law.
  Humanitarian aid and military assistance are critical needs for the 
Haitians given the threat that demonstrators may thwart the delivery of 
food and other relief items. There has already been a cry for 
assistance by President Aristide. Haiti, the poorest country in the 
Western Hemisphere, with only 4,000 police officers for 8 million 
citizens has formally requested humanitarian aid and security forces.
  As we work with the government of Haiti to explore the role of the 
international community in averting civil war, we must also begin to 
look beyond the current crisis. For example, Haiti continues to be in 
dire need of food aid and medical assistance. The current unrest could 
set off an exodus of refugees. Furthermore, there is an uncertainty as 
to the timing and fairness of the next elections is promoting 
suspicions and instability. We must anticipate the work that will have 
to be done in order to effectively and humanely process the imminent 
influx of refugees by improving our immigration screening and detention 
processes.
  I do not believe that Haitian refugees receive a fair chance to 
satisfy the requirements for entitlement to an asylum hearing. Also, I 
am disturbed by the lack of parity between the Haitian refugees and the 
Cuban refugees. While Haitian refugees are detained and then removed 
from the United States, Cuban refugees who reach American soil are 
welcomed. They are admitted or paroled into the United States, and a 
year later they are eligible for adjustment of status to that of lawful 
permanent residents. This difference in treatment is unfair and 
unjustifiable.
  I will support a bill sponsored by our colleague Mr. Meek of Florida 
to designate Haiti under Section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act to allow Haitian refugees to obtain Temporary Protective Status 
(TPS). I have signed on to join my brother today in fact to take 
leadership in this crisis.
  Furthermore, I will introduce a piece of legislation, the 
``Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2003.'' Section 502 of this 
bill responds to Attorney General Ashcroft's decision in Matter of D-J-
, 23 I&N Dec. 572 (AG 2003), in which he denied bond release to a 
Haitian on the ground that giving bond to undocumented refugees who 
come to the United States by sea would cause adverse consequences for 
national security and sound immigration policy.
  This legislation would permit the adjustment of status for Haitians 
who meet the following categories: (1) The individual would have to be 
a native or citizen of Haiti; (2) the individual would have to have 
been inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States; and (3) 
the individual would have to have been physically present in the United 
States for at least 1 year.
  The Caucus advocates positive action by the U.S. Government to 
support peaceful and democratic efforts to alleviate the violent and 
unsanitary conditions to prevent the spread of diseases such as HIV/
AIDS. Collaboration by and assistance from the United Nations will be 
key in the effort to stimulate the participation of the international 
community. The Haitian people must implement the organic constitutional 
and democratic principles to indicate its contrition and willingness to 
effect change. With the plan to institute a democratic form of 
governance must accompany maintenance of the rule of law so as to 
ensure the development of a framework of fundamental rights. Violence 
will not bring about peace, but fair and transparent electoral process 
will.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that our words are heard and that this Nation 
will move to end this problem before a full-scale civil war results. 
Action today will translate into an investment that will benefit 
innocent Haitian lives and the immigration challenges that do not 
diminish. I urge this administration to do the right thing and to 
provide the humanitarian aid and security provisions necessary to save 
these lives.
  And as the song by the great Ben E. King goes:

     Oh, stand by me
     Oh stand, stand by me, stand by me
     If the sky that we look upon
     Should tumble and fall
     Or the mountain
     Should crumble to the sea

[[Page H630]]

     I won't cry, I won't cry
     No, I won't shed a tear
     Just as long as you stand
     Stand by me

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