[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 155 (Friday, October 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 22, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration of the bill (H.R. 3619) to 
     authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal year 
     2010, and for other purposes:

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an 
amendment to H.R. 3619, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2009, 
which directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard 
is operating to conduct a study and submit a report to Congress 
examining the Coast Guard's ability to respond to the effects of 
possible changes to U.S. immigration policies toward Haiti.
  While it is certainly responsible to examine a worst-case scenario, 
my amendment also asks that the study look at what has happened in past 
experiences as we discuss the anticipated repercussions of changes in 
our immigration policy.
  Changes in policies affecting Haiti are nothing new. In fact, it was 
just over 10 years ago that we here in Congress passed the Haitian 
Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, which affected far more Haitian 
nationals than any of the currently proposed policies would affect.
  I firmly believe that what happened then and our current relations 
with the Haitian government will result in little change, if not a 
decrease, in Haitian interdictions.
  However, my assurances are not enough.
  Those who are critical or skeptical of Temporary Protected Status for 
Haitians often claim that any change could result in a massive surge, 
or might completely overwhelm the Coast Guard.
  This is in spite of the fact that when we last adjusted the status of 
thousands of Haitian immigrants, we actually saw a decrease in 
interdictions, and despite the assurances from the Haitian government 
that they will do their part to ensure their citizens are aware that no 
new immigrants would qualify.
  However, as of now, we have little more than speculation to ascertain 
what the results would be.
  My amendment will help provide us with an objective perspective on 
the Coast Guard's expectations and their ability to continue to 
effectively guard our maritime borders.
  TPS, or some other comparable relief, for our Haitian neighbors is 
long overdue and this administration has been stalling for far too 
long.
  This study will hopefully help us show that our government has 
rationally and realistically examined all possible scenarios and we are 
well equipped to contend with any possible effects.
  Mr. Chair, my amendment furthers this bill's commitment to ensuring 
the safety of those traveling on the high seas and protecting our 
national security, and I respectfully urge my colleagues to support 
this amendment.

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