[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 22 (Thursday, February 26, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PLEADING FOR HELP FOR HAITI

  (Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to once again plead with 
this administration to act before there is any more bloodshed and death 
in Haiti.
  Now, for the past 3 months, we have been coming to this floor calling 
on this administration to act. Yesterday, the Congressional Black 
Caucus met with President Bush and he, too, said that he abhorred the 
violence and the loss of life in Haiti. Colin Powell, our Secretary of 
State, said, we cannot allow thugs and murderers to overthrow the 
democratically elected government of President Aristide.
  So we must act now. We have an opportunity to do so. The United 
States must take a role, or at least at the very minimum not block any 
United Nations Security Council resolution which could provide 
international security forces in Haiti. But time is of the essence, Mr. 
Speaker. Lives are at stake. This is urgent.
  So I plead with this administration to heed our call and save the 
lives of Haitians and save the real life of democracy in terms of our 
neighbor of 8 million people right next door in our own hemisphere.
  Mr. Speaker, when it comes to democracy, this country supports 
democracy in Iraq. We should support democracy in Haiti and come to 
Haiti's aid right now.

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