[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 85 (Thursday, May 22, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1033-E1034]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  INTERNATIONAL FOOD CRISIS AND HAITI

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 20, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, rising food prices are fueling the global 
hunger crisis. The World Bank estimates that food prices have gone up 
by 83 percent globally over the last three years. This reality has hit 
home in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and oldest 
black sovereign state. It is sad to think of Haitians demonstrating and 
taking to the streets in order to call the world's attention to the 
fact ordinary people can not afford to buy food. As Haiti struggles to 
maintain its stability, rising food prices threaten the progress that 
has been made.
  The recent removal of Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis is 
evident that Haiti's

[[Page E1034]]

political stability is in jeopardy. Also this month, 10 Senate seats in 
Haiti will be up for election. Originally scheduled for last fall, 
these elections had to be postponed after members of the country's 
electoral commission accused their leaders of embezzlement. In a 
country where political turnover has become the norm, President 
Preval's stability offers hope for Haiti. I urge the United States not 
to allow the current humanitarian crisis to become a political one as 
well.
  Poverty is one of the greatest ills to plague mankind. Those who 
survive in poverty are under the constant threat of death. The debt 
forgiveness offered by the Jubilee Act will enable Haiti to address the 
issues of poverty, create opportunities for economic growth and 
establish sound governing practices. The Jubilee Act also promotes 
responsible development assistance by prioritizing grants over loans, 
which is an important measure to prevent poor nations from falling back 
into debt. Releasing Haiti from its onerous debt will allow the country 
to feed its own people and rebuild its struggling economy without the 
burden of diverting its scarce resources to fill the coffers of 
wealthy, multi-lateral financial institutions. The U.S. House of 
Representatives has gone on record supporting the immediate 
cancellation of Haiti's debt, it is now time for the President to make 
sure that this struggling nation is no longer held captive to its past 
and is put on a sustained path to development.
  Haiti serves a wake up call to the potential looming global food 
crisis. It is taking an immense toll on the world's poorest people, who 
typically spend up to 80 percent of their income on food. After many 
years of working to end hunger and poverty, the United States and other 
developed nations must put forth bolder efforts to ensure progress is 
not lost in resolving global hunger.

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