[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 26, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E87-E88]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ACCELERATION OF INCOME TAX BENEFITS FOR CHARITABLE CASH CONTRIBUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 20, 2010

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 
4462--a bill that will accelerate the income tax benefits for 
charitable cash contributions for the relief of victims of the 
earthquake in Haiti.
  As you know, on Tuesday, January 12th, a massive, 7.0 magnitude 
earthquake struck Haiti near the capital of Port-au-Prince. There is 
still no official estimate of death or destruction, the damage to 
buildings is extensive and the number of injured or dead is estimated 
to be in the hundreds, even thousands.
  Several eyewitnesses reported heavy damage and bodies in the streets 
of the capital, Port-au-Prince, where concrete-block homes line steep 
hillsides.
  Haiti sits on a large fault that has caused catastrophic quakes in 
the past, but this one was described as among the most powerful to hit 
the region within the last 200 years. With many poor residents living 
in tin-roof shacks that sit precariously on steep ravines and with much 
of the construction in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere in the country of 
questionable quality, the expectation was that the quake caused major 
damage to buildings and significant loss of life.
  The dimensions of the disaster are still unfolding, but Haiti's Prime 
Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN that he believes there are well 
over 100,000 dead, and leading senator Youri Latortue estimated the 
number at possibly as high as 500,000, according the Associated Press.
  America is responding, and will continue to respond with immediate 
humanitarian assistance to help the people of this struggling island 
nation rebuild their livelihoods. I send my condolences to the people 
and government of Haiti as they grieve once again in the aftermath of a 
natural disaster. As Haiti's neighbor, it is the United States' 
responsibility to help Haiti recover, and build the capacity to 
mitigate against future disasters.
  American and her allies have already initiated a comprehensive, 
interagency response to the earthquake. The State Department, 
Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard, 
USAID--all worked overnight to ensure that critical resources are 
positioned to support the response and recovery effort, including 
efforts to find and assist American citizens in Haiti.
  U.S. Southern Command will deploy a team of 30 people to Haiti to 
support U.S. relief efforts in the aftermath of yesterday's devastating 
earthquake. The team includes U.S. military engineers, operational 
planners, and a command and control group and communication 
specialists, will arrive in Haiti today on two C-130 Hercules aircraft. 
The team will work with U.S. Embassy personnel as well as Haitian, 
United Nations and international officials to assess the situation and 
facilitate follow on U.S. military support.
  Our friends in the international community must also be commended for 
their efforts. The United Nations is releasing $10 million from its 
emergency funds. The European Commission has approved C3 million ($4.37 
million) with more funds likely. Countless other nations from Germany, 
to China, to Israel to Mexico have also pledged support. I commend each 
of these nations for coming to a nation in dire need of assistance.
  Many of my constituents ask what they can do to help, or how they can 
find their loved ones. Those who are interested in helping immediately 
can text `HAITI' to `90999' and a donation of $10 will be made 
automatically to the Red Cross for relief efforts. The donation will be 
charged to your cell phone bill.
  The outpouring of support and funding from the American people was 
both instant and sustained. According to the Washington Post, the text 
messaging effort raised $5 million in its first day, breaking the 
previous one-day

[[Page E88]]

record of about $450,000. Text-message donations continue to play a 
larger-than-expected role in the push for earthquake relief in Haiti. 
As of late Sunday, the American Red Cross said that it had collected 
pledges of about $103 million, including $22 million through the text 
donation program. Another organization, Partners in Health, raised $25 
million in the five days following the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti. 
This is equal to what it budgeted for Haiti in all of 2009. Overall, 
U.S. charities raised more than $150 million in the four days after the 
quake, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, which based its 
tally on proceeds reported by the nation's 22 largest charities. That 
total surpasses the $108 million raised in the four days following 
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the $30 million raised in the three days 
following the tsunami in Asia in 2004.
  Financially, 2009 was not an easy year for many Americans. Although 
thousands of jobs were created and we are back on the road to economic 
recovery, Americans lived on tighter budgets than usual. This 
legislation will allow those Americans who have generously donated 
money to Haiti to receive their tax break this year instead of next 
year.
  Once again, I am devastated by the immeasurable tragedy that occurred 
in Haiti. Along with my colleagues, I hope to visit Haiti in the near 
future to meet with their leaders and see what the United States can do 
to rebuild the shattered livelihoods.
  In January of 2005, Congress enacted this type of relief for 
individuals that made charitable contributions to victims of the Indian 
Ocean tsunami that occurred in late December of 2004. That bill (H.R. 
241 in the 109th Congress) passed the House of Representatives without 
objection and subsequently passed the Senate by unanimous consent. I 
hope that this legislation, like our response to the 2004 tsunami, will 
encourage Americans to contribute more money to Haiti. As Haiti starts 
on its long recovery, every dollar is critically important. Once again, 
I am proud to represent such a compassionate and generous nation.

                          ____________________