[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 62 (Thursday, May 6, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4940-S4941]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            CRISIS IN HAITI

  Mr. DeWINE. Madam President, let me turn to another area in the world 
where there is another humanitarian crisis, and that is the country of 
Haiti. I will be very brief because I have come to the Senate floor 
many times before to talk about Haiti.
  Haitian Prime Minister Latortue was on Capitol Hill yesterday. I had 
the opportunity to meet with him. The majority leader and the 
Democratic leader met with him, as well as other Senators. The Prime 
Minister is a very impressive man. He is a man who faces a very 
difficult task in Haiti. The U.S. troops are scheduled to leave June 1 
to be replaced with U.N. troops.
  I will not try to summarize the message from the Prime Minister, but 
two things he said were very important which I will share with my 
colleagues. First, the Prime Minister made a very strong case to the 
Members of the Senate whom he talked to for the passage of a bill 
Senator Dodd and I have introduced in the Senate, a bill that, 
according to the Prime Minister, within a relatively short period of 
time would help create an additional 100,000 jobs in Haiti, 100,000 
jobs that are desperately needed.
  This is a trade bill Senator Dodd and I have introduced that is 
pending in the Senate. It has bipartisan support. There is a companion 
bill introduced by Congressman Clay Shaw in the House of 
Representatives. I again call my colleagues' attention to this bill and 
hope we can act on this bill this year. It is a bill that would restore 
the assembly jobs in Haiti. Haiti at one time had many assembly jobs. 
After the sanctions were imposed during the Clinton administration, 
these jobs basically went away. This bill will help restore these jobs. 
It will make a big difference for Haiti.
  The other point the Prime Minister made was the Haitian Government 
today is in desperate need of cash.

[[Page S4941]]

They cannot even do little things such as get the electricity back on. 
I have talked to Mr. Noriega in our administration. I have talked to 
Secretary Colin Powell. Both are very sympathetic to what is going on 
in Haiti and the needs of the Haitian Government. Secretary Powell has 
assured me the administration is trying to reprogram money and to get 
additional money for Haiti. Everyone agrees and understands the urgent 
need for this money.
  I simply say to the administration, this money is desperately needed 
now. The new Haitian Government is struggling. They need to show the 
people of Haiti some immediate victories. If the people of Haiti are to 
have some confidence in this new Government, if they are to believe in 
this new Government, if they are to have confidence in the new 
Government, they have to see something tangible and they have to see it 
fairly quickly.
  I hope our administration will be able to reprogram some money, will 
be able to set some money aside and get that money to Haiti so this new 
Government will be able to show the people of Haiti some good faith, be 
able to show them some victories, and the people of Haiti will be able 
to see there is, in fact, some hope.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The assistant majority leader.
  Mr. McCONNELL. How much time do I have on this side in morning 
business?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There are 8 minutes remaining.

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