[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 3, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE AMERICAN RESPONSE TO THE DISASTER IN HAITI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 3, 2010

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to join my colleagues 
today in recognizing the extraordinary American response to the 
earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010. I am proud to 
support H. Res. 1048, H. Res. 1059, and H. Res. 1066. Each of these 
resolutions honors the courage and sacrifice of the Americans who 
rushed to aid the people of Haiti in their time of need.
  The United States, with its swift and steadfast response, has once 
again demonstrated the common decency and compassion of its citizens. 
When the lives of our neighbors are at stake, Americans do not 
hesitate. In the first 10 days after the catastrophic earthquake--the 
worst to strike Haiti in 200 years--over 14,000 members of the Armed 
Forces, thousands of U.S. Army Reserve rescue workers, and hundreds of 
government and volunteer personnel were on the ground to provide 
immediate assistance to the Haitian people. While American search and 
rescue teams pulled survivors from the rubble, and Federal employees 
raced to distribute water, food, and medical supplies, the American 
public donated hundreds of millions of dollars to support relief 
efforts. Remarkably, a recent poll found that nearly half of American 
families had donated, even in the midst of this difficult economic 
recession.
  As I express my gratitude today to every American that has taken part 
in the disaster response, it is not without a heavy heart. Haitians and 
the Haitian-American community have endured unspeakable loss, and the 
road to recovery will be long and difficult. America must continue to 
stand by Haiti and lead the international effort toward its recovery.

                          ____________________