[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 10, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1288-H1295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HAITI DEBT RELIEF AND EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY ACT OF 2010

  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 4573) to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to 
instruct the United States Executive Directors at the International 
Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and 
other multilateral development institutions to use the voice, vote, and 
influence of the United States to cancel immediately and completely 
Haiti's debts to such institutions, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4573

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Haiti Debt Relief and 
     Earthquake Recovery Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. DEBT RELIEF FOR HAITI.

       Title XVI of the International Financial Institutions Act 
     (22 U.S.C. 262p et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``SEC. 1628. CANCELLATION OF HAITI'S DEBTS TO INTERNATIONAL 
                   FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Treasury should 
     direct the United States Executive Director at the 
     International Monetary Fund, the International Development 
     Association, the Inter-American Development Bank, the 
     International Fund for Agricultural Development, and other 
     multilateral development institutions (as defined in section 
     1701(c)(3)) to use the voice, vote and influence of the 
     United States at each such institution to seek to achieve--
       ``(1) the immediate and complete cancellation of any and 
     all remaining debts owed by Haiti to such institutions;
       ``(2) the suspension of Haiti's debt service payments to 
     such institutions until such time as the debts are canceled 
     completely; and
       ``(3) the provision of emergency, humanitarian and 
     reconstruction assistance from such institutions to Haiti in 
     the form of grants or other assistance such that Haiti does 
     not accumulate debt.
       ``(b) Use of Certain Funds for Assistance to Haiti.--The 
     Secretary of the Treasury should instruct the United States 
     Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund to 
     advocate the use of some of the realized windfall profits 
     that exceed the required contribution to the Poverty 
     Reduction and Growth Trust (as referenced in the IMF Reforms 
     Financial Facilities for Low-Income Countries Public 
     Information Notice (PIN) No. 09/94) from the ongoing sale of 
     12,965,649 ounces of gold acquired since the second Amendment 
     of the Fund's Article of Agreement, to provide debt stock 
     relief, debt service relief, and grants for Haiti.
       ``(c) Securing Other Relief for Haiti.--The Secretary of 
     the Treasury and the Secretary of State should use all 
     appropriate diplomatic influence to secure cancellation of 
     any and all remaining bilateral, multilateral and private 
     creditor debt owed by Haiti.''.

     SEC. 3. INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT.

       (a) Trust Fund.--The Secretary of the Treasury should 
     support the creation and utilization of a multilateral trust 
     fund for Haiti that would leverage potential United States 
     contributions and promote bilateral donations to such a fund 
     for the purpose of making investments in Haiti's future, 
     including efforts to combat soil degradation and promote 
     reforestation and infrastructure investments such as electric 
     grids, roads, water and sanitation facilities, and other 
     critical infrastructure projects.
       (b) Increase in Transfer of Earnings.--The Secretary of the 
     Treasury should direct the United States Executive Director 
     of the Inter-American Development Bank to seek to increase 
     the transfer of its earnings to the Fund for Special 
     Operations and to a trust fund or grant facility for Haiti.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Meeks) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Gary G. Miller) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks on this legislation, and to insert extraneous 
materials thereon.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.
  Today, Madam Speaker, we consider an issue that is close to all of 
our hearts. Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake on January 12 of 
this year. The country, which was finally making strides to more stable 
economic and political growth after so many failed governments of the 
past, was rocked by a natural disaster of historic proportions. The 
images from the disaster are fresh in our minds. The immediate needs of 
the people are clear, and the desire of the global community and the 
average American citizens to help Haiti recover as fast as possible are 
clear and give us all hope.
  Earlier today, I joined with President Obama and other members of 
this House at the White House in restating America's commitment to 
stand by our brothers and sisters in Haiti, and to lend them a hand up 
to get back on a path to economic growth and social healing. In 
speaking with President Preval today, I told him that Haiti debt relief 
was but the first of a broader set of initiatives that we will 
undertake to enable the people of Haiti to rebuild their country, their 
lives, their businesses, and their communities.

                              {time}  1845

  As Chair of the International Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee, 
I am proud to have moved this bill successfully in a strongly 
bipartisan manner. I thank the woman whose name will appear on this 
bill who has worked very hard to make this bill happen, the chairwoman 
of the Subcommittee on Housing, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Waters) who has been a long and strong supporter for Haiti.
  Forgiving Haiti's debts to the World Bank, the IMF, the IDB, and IFAD 
is good policy and is the right thing to do. But forgiving these debts 
alone will not deliver the desperately needed tents to provide shelter 
from the impending rainy season. Debt relief alone will not rebuild 
roads, hospitals, churches, schools, and the physical infrastructure 
that Haiti needs to get back to work. Debt relief alone will not heal 
the physical and psychological wounds of the injured and traumatized or 
develop the human capital the country needs so desperately. As our 
agencies, from USAID to the Treasury Department, to the State 
Department, to our Armed Forces, to average citizens from around the 
country, lend support to Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the 
earthquake, we must not lose sight of the longer-term needs of this 
country, its government, and its people.
  Indeed, we are now moving to the second and third phase of a long and 
arduous process; namely, moving from the immediate rescue and survival 
concerns, though they are still critical, to reconstruction and 
ultimately long-term economic recovery. Doing this will require 
leadership of the Haitian people and government as they take ownership 
for the future they care to build. It will also require effective 
coordination of our aid and development efforts to limit waste, 
duplication and, ultimately, loss of goodwill.
  As we do all of this and as implementation is planned, special 
attention

[[Page H1289]]

needs to be paid to the need to rebuild Haiti's human capital. Several 
of our government agencies are already at work doing this, and I will 
keep pressure on them, as I am sure others in this House will, as well 
as the development banks and international financial institutions, to 
ensure that they invest heavily in developing the people of Haiti and 
the institutions of Haiti, to enable them to effectively govern and set 
their own path to a brighter future with dignity and independence.
  Lastly, I will keep the pressure on the international institutions to 
deliver the necessary resources to Haiti without adding to that 
nation's long-term debt burden. In over 200 years of independence, 
Haiti has always been saddled with unsustainable debts, whether 
extraordinarily high debt obligations owed to the French as a condition 
of independence in the early 1800s, as is often brought out by 
Congressman Green of Houston, or from international institutions 
unscrupulously saddling the people of Haiti with debts diverted by 
dictators in the second half of the 20th century, or over $1 billion in 
debts still owed today, despite the country having earned $1.2 billion 
in debt forgiveness from the international institutions last year.
  The people of Haiti have worked far too long and far too hard to 
repay debts they had little say in accruing and which have yielded very 
little benefit to the average citizen. This cynical game of debt 
accrual and debt forgiveness must end, and as Chair of the 
International Monetary Policy Subcommittee, I will be doing my part to 
see that happens. The people of Haiti deserve better than that and 
deserve a chance to invest in their own futures.

                                                    March 8, 2010.
     Hon. Barney Frank,
     Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Frank: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 
     4573, the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act of 
     2010, introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters on February 2, 2010.
       This bill contains provisions within the Rule X 
     jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In the 
     interest of permitting your Committee to proceed 
     expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, 
     I am willing to waive this Committee's right to mark up this 
     bill. I do so with the understanding that by waiving 
     consideration of the bill, the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
     does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the 
     subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its 
     Rule X jurisdiction.
       Further, I request your support for the appointment of 
     Foreign Affairs Committee conferees during any House-Senate 
     conference convened on this legislation.
       Please include a copy of this letter and your response in 
     the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure 
     on the House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Howard L. Berman,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                                    March 8, 2010.
     Hon. Howard Berman,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter concerning 
     H.R. 4573, the ``Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti 
     Act of 2010.'' This bill will be considered by the House 
     shortly.
       I want to confirm our mutual understanding with respect to 
     the consideration of this bill. I acknowledge that portions 
     of the bill fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs and I appreciate your cooperation in moving 
     the bill to the House floor expeditiously. I further agree 
     that your decision to not to proceed with a markup on this 
     bill will not prejudice the Committee on Foreign Affairs with 
     respect to its prerogatives on this or similar legislation. I 
     would support your request for an appropriate number of 
     conferees in the event of a House-Senate conference.
       I will include a copy of this letter and your response in 
     the Congressional Record. Thank you again for your 
     cooperation.
                                                     Barney Frank,
                                                         Chairman.

  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I yield to the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) such time as he may consume.
  Mr. BACHUS. I thank the ranking member for yielding, and I want to 
commend him for his work on this legislation. I also want to commend 
Chairman Waters and Chairman Meeks for their work, and other Members 
who I think have worked in a bipartisan way for an excellent 
legislation and a very worthy legislation. I rise in complete support 
for the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery Act.
  If you picked a country and a capital in a country anywhere in the 
world which could least deal with a devastating earthquake, it would be 
Port-au-Prince, Haiti. You could not visualize a worse scenario.
  The immediate legacy, other than which you have witnessed on the TV 
screens here in America, is that there will be virtually a generation 
of orphans who have lost their parents. That alone would be a challenge 
for any country. Think of New Orleans and what a challenge that has 
been for our country. For Haiti, it is a monumental undertaking. And, 
quite frankly, it is hard to visualize in our lifetime seeing Haiti 
recover.
  The human tragedy following that earthquake is overwhelming. As 
Haiti's citizens seek to rebuild, I think it is very important for us 
to stand with them and alongside them. And I commend the administration 
for their efforts since the earthquake. Many of our agencies are there. 
Many of our charities are there. Many of our church groups are there. 
Many of our NGOs are there: the Jubilee Act, Melinda St. Louis, her 
organization; Tom Hart of the One Campaign. I think those two 
organizations have done a wonderful job of highlighting the need not 
only in Haiti, but in many of the impoverished countries.
  The first measure we can take--other than the efforts that we have 
witnessed, many American volunteers and government efforts--to ensure 
that all of Haiti's remaining resources are devoted to reconstruction 
and not to development loans that it is unrealistic to expect can ever 
be repaid, this legislation is a part of that step.
  Haiti's impoverished condition dates back to its origins under French 
colonial rule, to 1804, 205, 206 years ago, when Haiti's citizens won 
their independence in a revolution similar to our revolution from the 
French colonial regime. France imposed a blockade and imposed and 
extracted a promise of $21 billion in reparations, and that is $21 
billion in today's currency. That is greater than the debt incurred at 
that time by the United States, a much bigger government. So Haiti, 
when they were born as a country, they were immediately impoverished, 
and their enslavement continued. I will say that.
  The amazing thing, if you look at that debt that the French imposed 
and you read about it, part of the debt was repayment for compensation 
for property, which included the slave population. I mean, that's 
amazing. That's amazing. That is something that we can't go back and do 
anything about, but we can certainly do something today. But when the 
French lost their ability to enslave that population, they extracted, 
because of their navy, a blockade and that debt.
  With the country's economic productivity being drained, since its 
inception, to pay this enormous debt, which has never been paid off, 
never paid off because there were other debts added, economic 
development stifled since 1804.
  Sometimes we say, Why Haiti? Why is it so poor? Why has it always 
been so poor? It never stood a chance.
  In more recent times, and one would think that things couldn't get 
worse than that, Duvalier, under his dictatorship, was responsible for 
more than 40 percent of the additional loans to Haiti. I mean, think 
about loaning to a dictator who is suppressing his people. We have seen 
that in Africa and other places, and it is an absurdity that we ought 
to address in Haiti and we ought to address in other places because, in 
that way, countries that did that contributed. The brutal regime 
further despoiled the country by diverting funds borrowed for 
development to their own personal enrichment to bank accounts out of 
the country.
  With this history, it is no surprise that Haiti was deeply 
impoverished since the beginning, their foundation as a nation. And 
this bill by Ms. Waters and others takes a very fine first step toward 
the goal of eliminating Haiti's uncollectible debts so that the country 
can begin, for the first time, really, the process of becoming self-
sustaining, and they are going to need a lot of help.
  The text to be considered says the Treasury Secretary should direct 
U.S. representatives at international financial institutions to work 
with their

[[Page H1290]]

colleagues to try to achieve cancellation of debt owed by Haiti to 
those institutions. Since any cancellation would take months to 
accomplish, it seeks suspension of debt payment services until the 
cancellation takes place. None of these institutions realistically 
expects Haiti to service its debt at a time Haiti is lying in ruins.
  As a former Treasury Under Secretary before our committee last week 
said, it is a ``cruel hoax'' on both the people of developing countries 
and on the taxpayers of donor nations to pretend that even without an 
earthquake, Haiti, a country whose citizens subsist on a dollar or two 
a day, is ever going to be able to pay back billions of dollars in 
development loans.
  The United States has always been a benevolent and caring country. 
Even during our current economic challenges, we have not lost our 
compassion. In fact, our present travails have, in some respects, I 
believe, given us a greater appreciation for the desperation and 
suffering of those facing challenges and hardships in Haiti, although 
theirs are much greater than anything that we are undergoing.
  The United States, and let me stress this, if you don't hear anything 
else, if you are thinking about voting against this bill, hear this: 
The United States has forgiven all of its bilateral debt to Haiti. What 
we are asking is we are asking others to do what we have done. What we 
are doing with this is directing the Secretary of the Treasury to use 
his voice and influence to seek debt cancellation from others. Among 
them are Venezuela and Taiwan. By far, Venezuela is the largest 
bilateral creditor. Taiwan is a distant second. Forgiving the debt 
Haiti owes to multilateral agencies is consistent with our principles, 
and we can lead by example while we lend a helping hand.

  In conclusion, Madam Speaker, this bill before us contains some minor 
changes to the bill that came out of the Committee on Financial 
Services, all of which I support. The changes don't add any cost. They 
don't change the intent of the bill.
  Added at the end of original committee text is a section very similar 
to the bill that the Senate passed last week by unanimous consent. The 
section says the Secretaries of State and Treasury should support the 
creation and use of a multinational trust fund that could include and 
leverage any future U.S. aid to Haiti, and that aid ought to be in the 
form of grants, not loans, and that the Secretary of the Treasury 
should seek a speed-up in interbank transfers at the Inter-American 
Development Bank so they may be used in Haiti's recovery.
  These are sensible steps, and I support the changes and I commend my 
colleagues who are also here in support of this very worthy 
legislation.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. I want to thank the ranking member of the full 
committee as well as the ranking member of the subcommittee for the 
cooperative spirit in working together in getting this bill to where it 
is today. Thank you for working in a very bipartisan manner to this 
point.
  At this time, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Waters) who is the author of this bill and who has been 
a longtime supporter for the people of Haiti.
  Ms. WATERS. First, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Meeks) for the time, and I appreciate all of the work that he has 
done on this bill.
  Indeed, I would also like to thank all of the Members who support 
this bill, including Barney Frank, the chairman of the Financial 
Services Committee, who made sure we got the bill up and going and we 
could expedite it in a way I have never seen any other bill expedited.
  I thank Spencer Bachus, the ranking member of the Financial Services 
Committee, whom I have worked with for over 10 years, appreciating that 
he understands so very thoroughly the history of Haiti and what it 
means to the world.
  I thank Gregory Meeks, again, the chairman of the International 
Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee, whose manager's amendment added 
so much in the way of improvement to this bill, and the gentlewoman 
from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the ranking member of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee; Eliot Engel, chairman of the Western Hemisphere 
Subcommittee, and all of the other cosponsors of the bill, and 
especially the Congressional Black Caucus.

                              {time}  1900

  I would also like to thank Kathleen Sengstock, my senior legislative 
assistant, who worked very hard on this bill. Kathleen is an expert on 
debt relief and has worked for the past 10 years on debt relief for all 
of the poor countries of the world.
  I would also like to thank Daniel McGlinchey and other professional 
staff persons with the Financial Services Committee.
  Ladies and gentlemen, Haiti was struck by a devastating earthquake on 
January 12, 2010. According to the U.S. Agency for International 
Development, 230,000 people were killed and 1.3 million people were 
displaced from their homes. There is still a desperate need for clean 
water, food, shelter, and basic sanitation. Three million people, one-
third of the country's population, were affected by the earthquake.
  Today, we are very fortunate to have in this country the President of 
Haiti, President Preval. The CBC--that is, the Congressional Black 
Caucus--held a meeting with President Preval, and he thanked us all, 
not only the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, but all of the 
Members of Congress and the American people for the aid and support we 
have provided for Haiti. He thanked all of the American agencies for 
the lives that they have saved, the food that they have distributed, 
along with the water and the medical care and much more.
  He reminded us that the rains are coming, and perhaps hurricanes, and 
there is still a need for emergency adequate shelter, and of course 
long-term housing. But today we are talking about one of the simplest 
but most important things we can do to help Haiti: That is to cancel 
its debt.
  Haiti's democratic government has worked very hard in recent years to 
qualify for debt relief. In order to qualify, the Government of Haiti 
successfully developed and implemented a comprehensive poverty-
reduction strategy paper under the direction of the International 
Monetary Fund and the World Bank. As a result, multilateral financial 
institutions provided Haiti $1.2 billion in debt relief last June. This 
was a critical step forward for Haiti. Nevertheless, Haiti still has a 
significant debt burden that will interfere with recovery and 
development efforts unless the remaining debts are canceled.
  According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Haiti still owes $828 
million to the multilateral development institutions. This includes 
$447 million to the Inter-American Development Bank, $284 million to 
the IMF, $39 million to the World Bank Group's International 
Development Association, and $58 million to the International Fund for 
Agricultural Development. In addition, Haiti owes approximately $400 
million to other individual countries.
  I introduced H.R. 4573, the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in 
Haiti Act of 2010, to free Haiti from the burden of these debts. The 
bill directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. 
executive directors at the multilateral development institutions to use 
the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to achieve several 
things: The immediate and complete cancellation of all debts owed by 
Haiti to these institutions; the suspension of Haiti's debt service 
payments until such time as the debts are canceled; and the provision 
of emergency humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Haiti in the 
form of grants so that Haiti does not accumulate additional debt.
  This bill also directs the Secretary of the Treasury and the 
Secretary of State to use all appropriate diplomatic influence to 
secure the cancellation of all remaining bilateral, multilateral, and 
private creditor debt owed by Haiti. Debt cancellation will allow the 
Government of Haiti to focus its meager resources on essential 
humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and redevelopment.
  The people of Haiti are poor, but they are physically and spiritually 
resilient. I know that with the support of the international community 
they will recover from this tragedy and create a brighter future for 
their children.
  I urge my colleagues to support the Debt Relief for Earthquake 
Recovery in Haiti Act of 2010.

[[Page H1291]]

  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill, the Debt Relief 
for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act of 2010.
  Representatives Meeks and Waters wasted no time responding with this 
legislation. They have been the most stalwart proponents of the Haitian 
people, and the Haitian people are very fortunate to have them on their 
side. I want to applaud them for their efforts with this act.
  As the Members of this body know, on January 12, 2010, Haiti 
experienced a 7.0 magnitude earthquake centered approximately 15 miles 
southwest of the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince. What followed were 
50 aftershocks with magnitudes over 4.0, all occurring within 24 hours.
  As of now, the Haitian Government has estimated 230,000 deaths and 
300,000 injured. Additionally, 700,000 people have been displaced in 
the Port-au-Prince area. Damage caused by the earthquake is estimated 
between $8 billion and $14 billion, with reports speculating that 
reconstruction costs could approximate $14 billion.
  As the people of Haiti strive to put the pieces of their lives and 
the country back together, Congress clearly needs to help. This bill 
would have the Secretary of the Treasury instruct the U.S. 
representatives at the World Bank, the IMF, the Inter-American 
Development Bank, and other multilateral institutions to use their 
influence at these institutions to reach an agreement on relieving 
Haitian debt to these entities and to suspend Haiti's debt service 
payments until those debts are canceled.
  Additionally, U.S. representatives at these institutions would 
advocate that future aid provided to Haiti be grant-based to avoid 
placing the country immediately back in debt as they seek to rebuild. 
In the shadow of a tragedy this size, this is an important first step, 
but I think the body must consider how much more can be done.
  So often American efforts to provide aid to impoverished nations come 
in the form of a check, which does provide a significant boost, but the 
goal here is to mitigate the impact of the disaster on the people. I 
hope this body can look at areas where American resources and know-how 
can be invested in Haitian society. In addition to feeding the people 
and providing shelter and medical care, we can leverage American 
resources so that we aren't simply sending a check.
  Americans are the most generous people in the world. In the aftermath 
of this tragedy, the citizens of this country have raised tens of 
millions of dollars to help the Haitian people. We should also be 
looking to send our heavy machinery and engineering capabilities along 
with qualified American workers--many of whom have been out of work 
themselves--to assist the Haitian people rebuild their nation quicker 
and more effectively.
  We will be holding a hearing next week in Financial Services to 
discuss many of these issues, and I look forward to working with my 
colleagues on ways that we can further leverage our Nation's great 
resources.
  In conclusion, I want to thank Representatives Waters and Meeks for 
introducing this legislation. You have been strong advocates, and I 
really applaud you for the efforts. I thank you for allowing me to 
participate here tonight.
  I strongly urge support of this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. It is my honor to yield 1 minute to the 
distinguished Chair of the Financial Services Committee who has led us 
this far, the gentleman from Massachusetts, the Honorable Barney Frank.
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I hope people will take 
note that there is not a correlation between the importance of what we 
do and the attention that what we do gets. This is not controversial 
because it is a product of genuine cooperation.
  I am delighted to be on the floor with my friend, the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Bachus). A few years ago, along with him and the gentleman 
from California and our former colleague, the gentleman from Iowa, Mr. 
Leach, we, frankly, beat the leaderships of both parties and the 
Clinton administration to get debt relief through. They've learned, so 
we don't have to fight so hard this time for a very important cause.
  I am very pleased to be joining in this wholly cooperative way in a 
morally compelled response to the problems of the people of Haiti. And 
I join in thanking the gentlewoman from California again, the gentleman 
from New York, and my colleagues on the other side from California and 
Alabama for letting us bring this forward.
  Various Members and their staffs have been congratulated, as they 
should be. It's not as easy to do the right thing as it sometimes 
seems; you want to make sure you get it done well.
  I just want to single out Daniel McGlinchey on the staff of the 
Financial Services Committee, who has been working at this for a long 
time, in cooperation with the others. This is a day in which the House 
can be proud, even if, because we're not yelling at each other, the 
press won't notice.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to yield 2 
minutes to the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, a longtime 
fighter for Haiti, the Honorable Barbara Lee.
  Ms. LEE of California. Thank you very much, Chairman Meeks.
  Let me just first say how much I want to support this bill today and 
thank Chairman Meeks for his steady and consistent support for Haiti, 
and also Chairman Frank.
  Also, let me just say, as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I 
have to extend our thanks to Congresswoman Maxine Waters for her work 
on this bipartisan resolution, especially also for her long-term 
leadership on the campaign for debt relief for Haiti and for all 
countries in the developing world. Congresswoman Waters has been a 
friend, an ally of the Haitian people for many years, long before this 
devastating earthquake struck.
  Also, to the ranking members, your support and your sense of justice 
for Haiti is deeply appreciated.
  The Congressional Black Caucus has a long history of working with the 
Haitian and Haitian-American communities, and many of us have traveled 
to Haiti several times. During the current crisis, the Congressional 
Black Caucus has and will continue to work closely with the Obama 
administration, the Government of Haiti, and the nongovernmental 
organizations to provide whatever assistance we can on an ongoing basis 
to help with the recovery and reconstruction efforts.
  Debt relief is not a matter of charity; it is really a matter of 
economic justice. Over half of Haiti's debt was borrowed under Haiti's 
dictatorships, some of which were brutally repressive. Thus, moneys 
borrowed by these regimes should not be borne by the Haitian people who 
had no say whatsoever on how these moneys were spent.
  But more to the point, I think that it is obvious that Haiti is not 
in a position to service debt--nor should it be--while it is struggling 
to meet the basic needs of its people like food, water, health care, 
and shelter. It is looking to rebuild from the most devastating tragedy 
to strike the island nation in its history. I know that the leaders of 
the international financial institutions feel the same way, and they 
understand this bill and that Haiti should not have to repay its debt. 
The United States Government and other donor nations must work with 
these institutions to fashion a plan for it, and this bill offered by 
Congresswoman Waters offers a legal framework and mandate to do just 
that.
  Finally, I just want to say that I hope this bill passes on a 
bipartisan basis.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, am I correct that we 
have 7 minutes remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is correct.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Meeks, I would be happy to 
yield 4 minutes of our time to you because I see you have numerous 
speakers, and I think you could probably utilize that time in 
additional speaking.
  I yield myself 1 minute at this point in time.
  As I have spoken to my good friends, Mr. Green, Mr. Meeks and Ms. 
Waters, about introducing legislation to

[[Page H1292]]

help employ American workers in Haiti, we are going to be giving--and 
other groups are giving--tremendous amounts of money to Haitians and to 
the Haitian Government to basically rebuild. We all believe that it is 
important, with the amount of American workers, especially construction 
industries, that we have that are unemployed, to utilize many of our 
dollars to send the expertise and skills we have in contractors and 
workers and laborers from the United States to work with the labor and 
the Haitian people to rebuild their country.
  I want to commend my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for 
working with me on this. We are close to having legislation done. Ms. 
Waters, I spoke to you today, and we will be getting that to all of you 
to review before I introduce it. Hopefully we can bring this up in 
committee within a couple of weeks to start implementing American 
manpower and resources to help the Haitian people, and also, at the 
same time, to benefit those Americans that are out of work.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Madam Speaker, how much time do we have 
remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman currently has 7\1/2\ minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. I would be happy to yield 4 of our 
minutes to my good friend from New York (Mr. Meeks).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from New 
York will control 11\1/2\ minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. It is my pleasure now to yield 1\1/2\ minutes 
of that to the gentlelady from the great State of Florida, the 
Honorable Corrine Brown.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I stand in strong 
support of the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act 
introduced by my dear friend and colleague, Representative Maxine 
Waters.
  Like so many of my colleagues here in the Congress, and particularly 
in the CBC, we have been working to improve the lives of the people of 
Haiti for many, many years.
  I was in Haiti last October with Chairman Oberstar and Congressman 
Gregory Meeks, and we met with President Preval and members of the 
Haitian Cabinet to discuss ways to improve the nation's infrastructure 
system, which is absolutely vital to Haiti's future economic 
development.
  Haiti is an island filled with good-willed, hardworking people, yet 
their lives are extraordinarily difficult because their country has 
been in great turmoil for decades, long before the terrible earthquake 
that hit Port-au-Prince.
  Being from Florida, Haiti has always been very, very near and dear to 
my heart. In my congressional district of Florida, we worked with 
numerous area churches, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to make 
about 60 donations of tractor-trailers filled with supplies for the 
Haitian people.

                              {time}  1915

  We worked with nonprofit organizations and with Food For The Poor, 
and it was transported by the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line--all at no 
cost to the people of Haiti. You know, because Haiti is not on the 
front pages of the paper, their needs are very important, and we need 
to continue to work to help the people of Haiti.
  I want to thank all of my colleagues for doing it. This is a really 
wonderful first step.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I continue to 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to one who is called 
from the Caribbean, the gentlewoman from the great State of New York, 
the Honorable Yvette Clarke.
  Ms. CLARKE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4573, the Debt 
Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act.
  I would like to acknowledge the tremendous leadership of the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) and the leadership of the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), who is the author of this 
legislation.
  As Representative of the second largest Haitian population in the 
country, I commend the Obama administration's swift response to the 
Haitian crisis. Without the President's comprehensive relief campaign, 
which included food, water, medical, and military assistance, as well 
as the $100 million in aid, we would not be at the point we are, which 
is ready to discuss the next step. Thankfully, we are.
  We must remember that the January earthquake did not create the 
troubling conditions in Haiti, although it certainly exacerbated them. 
Haiti is already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. H.R. 
4573, the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act, will 
achieve three distinct goals which will help to keep the focus on 
humanitarian assistance.
  First, the Secretary of the Treasury would instruct the U.S. 
executive directors of the institutions which lent money to the Haiti 
Government to immediately cancel all debts owed to Haiti to their 
respective institutions.
  Next, Haiti's debt service payments would be suspended.
  Lastly, grants would be provided for additional assistance so that 
Haiti would not accumulate additional debts.
  It is my hope that, as we continue to rebuild, our rebuilding effort 
will not begin until the relief effort has concluded, and it will be 
dependent on all allowing Haiti to focus solely on humanitarian aid. To 
do this, it is imperative that we cancel the debts of the Haitian 
Government.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I continue to 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes the hardworking 
gentleman from the great State of Texas, the Honorable Al Green.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I want to thank the team that worked on this 
effort. Of course, that would be the honorable Chair of the 
subcommittee, Mr. Meeks. It would be the Honorable Maxine Waters. It 
would also be Mr. Miller, the ranking member on the subcommittee and, 
of course, the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Bachus.
  Madam Speaker, I must tell you that my comments have been revised 
because I cannot allow this moment to go by without speaking to the 
comments that were made by Mr. Bachus.
  He spoke to our hearts and he spoke truth. It's not easy to stand in 
the well of the House of Representatives and speak the kind of truth 
that we heard. A son of the South and a Representative from Alabama 
stood in the well of the House, and he spoke the truth about one of the 
greatest atrocities ever imposed upon humankind and about how one 
country, in an effort to extricate and liberate itself, had to pay for 
the very liberation that it accorded itself. It meant something to me 
to hear this son of the South speak this kind of truth in the well of 
the Congress of the United States of America.
  So I commend you and I salute you.
  Mr. Miller, I thank you as well.
  The two of you deserve to have it said that you truly spoke truth to 
power tonight. Thank you.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I yield to the 
ranking member of the committee, the gentleman from Alabama.
  Mr. BACHUS. Madam Speaker, I would like unanimous consent for an 
additional minute on each side.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, each side will control 1 
additional minute.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BACHUS. Madam Speaker, I now ask unanimous consent to yield our 1 
minute to the majority.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Alabama?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from 
the great State of Texas, Ms. Sheila Jackson Lee.
  (Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. This is a very historic occasion.
  I would like to thank Congresswoman Waters for her continued and 
persistent leadership on debt relief for countries around the world.
  I thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Meeks of New York, for 
his persistence and guidance on passing this bill so quickly with Mr. 
Bachus and Mr. Miller. Thank you for your commitment and for your 
interesting and very good idea about putting Americans to work.

[[Page H1293]]

  Madam Speaker, I rise today to support this legislation to 
acknowledge that we are talking about a country right now that has only 
20 percent of the revenue that it needs to run its nation. They need 
seed. They need fertilizer. They are living some 80 percent below the 
poverty line, owing some $709 million in debts to multilateral 
financial institutions--$447 million to the Inter-American Development 
Bank--and also to countries such as Venezuela. This legislation will, 
in essence, help us clear the slate of all of those debts, and it will 
help us track what the United States has done.
  I would like to take this time to thank all of the first responders, 
USAID and so many who stood tall when Haiti called. Today, in the White 
House, it was good to be able to acknowledge those first responders 
from around the world, from around the Nation, in addition to the 
United States military.
  Helping them with this debt relief over all the land will allow the 
President to focus on building and on rebuilding--rebuilding Port-au-
Prince, rebuilding the suburbs in the outlying areas--and to focus on 
creating jobs for the Haitian people and on bringing contractors there 
who will work with Haitians in a joint venture with agencies. So the 
relief of this debt, I believe, is an enormous step in making a 
difference in the lives of Haitians.
  I want to thank you and ask support of this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4573--the Debt Relief for 
Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act of 2010. As, a co-sponsor of this 
bill, I strongly believe that it is a necessary step to ensure a 
successful recovery in Haiti.
  Haiti's long term development is currently hampered by its debt 
burden. January's earthquake struck Haiti during a time of economic 
vulnerability. Before the earthquake, Haiti was, by far, the poorest 
country in the Western Hemisphere.
  Before the earthquake, Haiti also has among the world's lowest levels 
of gross domestic product per capita. An estimated 80 percent of the 
population lived under the poverty line with 54 percent living in 
abject poverty, according to the CIA World Factbook. According to the 
United Nations Human Development Report, more than two-thirds of the 
labor force is believed to not have formal jobs, and just 62.1 percent 
of adults over age 15 are literate. Additionally, 18 percent of 
Haitians did not live to the age of 40.
  Yet, despite the destruction wreaked by multiple tropical storms in 
2008, Haiti's economy and infrastructure-building seemed to be turning 
a corner in recent years, aided by international support and debt 
relief programs.
  In fact, according to the New York Times, ``Haiti was one of only two 
Caribbean countries expected to grow in 2009. There were hopes of a 
tourism revival, reinforced by the announcement that a new Comfort Inn 
would open there this May. In a sign of its growing structural 
sophistication, Haiti even recently announced that it would begin 
collecting better national statistics, with the help of the 
International Monetary Fund, so that it could better assess and 
calibrate its economic policies.'' The earthquake on January derailed 
this progress.
  As this legislation states, the Government of Haiti cannot afford to 
invest in reconstruction and development efforts while continuing to 
make payments on debts owed to multilateral financial institutions like 
the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Inter-
American Development Bank and to other international creditors.
  Prior to the earthquake, debt service payments to multilateral 
financial institutions and other international creditors already were a 
tremendous burden that interfered with the ability of the Government of 
Haiti to meet the needs of its people.
  On June 30, 2009, the World Bank announced that Haiti qualified for 
and received $1.2 billion in debt relief from the IMF, the World Bank, 
and other multilateral financial institutions. In order to qualify for 
this debt relief, the Government of Haiti successfully developed and 
implemented a comprehensive Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, under the 
direction of the IMF and the World Bank.
  According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, despite previous 
debt relief, Haiti still owes a total of $709 million in debts to 
multilateral financial institutions, including $447 million to the 
Inter-American Development Bank, $165 million to the IMF, $39 million 
to the World Bank, and $58 million to the International Fund for 
Agricultural Development.
  According to the IMF, Haiti owed Venezuela $167 million and Taiwan 
$92 million at the end of September, 2008; furthermore, the amounts of 
these debts may have grown since that time. The cancellation of Haiti's 
debts to multilateral financial institutions and other international 
creditors will allow the Government of Haiti to use its meager 
resources for essential reconstruction and development efforts.
  As important as this legislation is, it is only one part of a much 
larger American assistance response to the earthquake. America will 
continue to respond with 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, I 
believe it is the United States' responsibility to help Haiti recover, 
and build the capacity to mitigate against future disasters.
  To date the United States Government has contributed over $402 
million in earthquake response funding for Haiti. It has also deployed 
approximately 17,000 military personnel in support of the relief 
effort. Subsequently, as part of the new Government of Haiti-led 
effort, the U.N. World Food Program will provide commodities, non-
governmental organizations will manage distributions, and U.S. military 
will provide security escorts.
  America 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 critical resources were 
positioned to support the response and recovery effort, including 
efforts to find and assist American citizens in Haiti.
  Once again I stand in solidarity with the people of Haiti and will do 
everything in my power to assist them with rebuilding their country and 
livelihoods. I am proud of our first responders and pledge that 
America's long term commitment to Haiti will live up to the standard 
that the first responders set.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I continue to 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. It is my honor to yield 2 minutes to the 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, a longtime 
fighter for Haiti, the gentleman from New Jersey, the Honorable Donald 
Payne.
  Mr. PAYNE. Let me begin by commending Mr. Meeks from New York and Ms. 
Waters from California for this very important legislation, H.R. 4573, 
Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti.
  I also would like to acknowledge Mr. Bachus for his very impassioned 
speech. Yet I am not surprised.
  Mr. Bachus, you may recall, when we were fighting the brutal 
Government of Sudan, we tried to get capital market sanctions. You 
supported our legislation that brought Mr. Greenspan to the Senate to 
say, Defeat the Payne-Bachus legislation because it would disrupt the 
stock market. So I commend you again for the great work that you have 
done.
  Madam Speaker, as we have mentioned, Haiti has had such a tremendous 
history. Since we know what is in the bill, I might also mention that 
it was during the Revolutionary War that Haitian soldiers fought in one 
of the key battles, the Battle of Savannah, where just recently a 
statue was completed in Savannah. I spoke at the dedication a year or 
so ago. It turned the tide of the war.
  Haitian soldiers fought in a number of battles to help the original 
colonies of the United States become independent from Britain. So they 
shed blood for our independence. Many people didn't know that.
  Then, as you know, with the defeat of Napoleon's army by Haiti, as 
was talked about, the reparations that had to be paid back caused 
France to be cash poor and land rich. It therefore forced them to sell 
the Louisiana Territory to the United States because it had lost the 
cash that Haiti had produced. Over 50 percent of all the commodities of 
tea and coffee and sugar in Europe came from Haiti. France lost that 
and therefore needed the cash from the Louisiana sale to have its 
treasury boosted. As a result, the Lewis and Clark expedition began in 
St. Louis, and the United States was able then to take the rest of this 
Nation. Once again, Haiti had a tremendous part of this.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I continue to 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. I yield 2 minutes to the Chair of the 
subcommittee for the Western Hemisphere, the gentleman from New York, 
the Honorable Eliot Engel.
  Mr. ENGEL. I thank my good friend and fellow New Yorker for yielding 
to me. I want to commend him for the work he has done.

[[Page H1294]]

  I want to commend my friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Waters) for this bill.
  Madam Speaker, like all of my colleagues, I rise in strong support of 
H.R. 4573, which pushes for the cancellation of debts owed by Haiti to 
multilateral financial institutions.
  I am the chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, and I also 
have a large Haitian population in my district in Spring Valley, New 
York.
  I am honored to say that, last Friday, I traveled to Haiti. You can 
see the devastation in the newspapers; you can look at it on 
television, but until you are there in person, you cannot imagine how 
horrible it is.
  The other things you see are thousands upon thousands upon thousands 
upon thousands of people in the streets with nothing to do and with no 
place to go--with no place to go to work and with no place to call 
home. There are rows of tents and shacks and of things put up for 
people to seek shelter. There are people just in the streets, and they 
are friendly towards the United States. We have a special obligation to 
help the people of Haiti.
  We met President Preval in Port-au-Prince last Friday. Today, I had 
the honor and pleasure of meeting him again twice--once at the White 
House with President Obama and then, after that meeting, at a private 
meeting with Members of Congress. I will tell everyone what I told him 
and what all of my colleagues are saying:
  We must help Haiti. We have a responsibility to help Haiti. It is 
clear that Haiti faces a very long road of recovery from the impact of 
the earthquake, and this bill will allow the Government of Haiti to 
focus its efforts and attention on the present and future recovery of 
the country and on the Haitian people.
  We all know Haiti's early history and independence. It is tragically 
marked by the onerous debts it was forced to pay by major powers, 
depriving Haiti of many years of needed resources and development. We 
shouldn't allow Haiti's present debts to pose similar obstacles in the 
wake of this earthquake.
  People say that Congress can't agree on anything and that there is no 
bipartisanship here. What we are seeing now is bipartisanship at its 
best. We are all working together to help the people of Haiti.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the 
balance of my time.
  My daughter, Elizabeth, lived with me here in Washington for about 4 
years. She was one of the directors for a group called Witness for 
Peace, which is a human rights organization.
  I recall very well a trip she led of a group to Haiti. She spent a 
week in Haiti with individuals from the United States, looking at the 
situation that the people were in and trying to come up with ways that 
we could help the people of that country.
  My daughter passed away about 2 years ago, and I am proud to be part 
of this bill because she believed in this. She believed in the people. 
She believed that there was a lot of good that the American people 
could do for people in this part of the world. So I am just glad to 
chair this side of the hearing tonight. I would like to do it in honor 
of my daughter, if you don't mind.
  I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1930

  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time.
  Let me just first thank the chairman of the committee, Barney Frank, 
Ranking Member Bachus, and again my ranking member on the International 
Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee, Mr. Miller. We came together 
because of the hard work and dedication that the gentlelady from 
California put forward in writing this bill to make sure we did the 
right thing for the people of Haiti. This is one of those times where 
you are proud of being a Member of Congress, working together for the 
good of human beings.
  Though oftentimes we say that Haiti is poor, when I think of Haiti, 
they are rich; rich in spirit, rich in human capital, rich in hope. 
These are a people suffering the most unimaginable tragedy, which still 
have the hope and desire of moving forward, who have overcome and 
survived all of the things that Mr. Bachus and others have said today, 
when you think about it, from the very beginning of their independence.
  Indeed, the people of Haiti are a rich people, and we are doing the 
right thing today and sending the right message to the people of Haiti, 
that we will stand by you, not just for the short haul, but for the 
long haul.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to be a Member of Congress and proud of my 
colleagues who have worked so hard to get this bill done, and I am 
proud that we are doing the right thing by the great people of Haiti.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H.R. 4573, the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti 
Act.
  It is almost 2 months to the date since the already struggling nation 
of Haiti was rocked by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
  Approximately 3 million people were affected and 230,000 are 
estimated to have died. Those that survived are facing unimaginable 
conditions, with a crumbling infrastructure that has hindered the 
delivery of humanitarian aid.
  Out of this destruction, however, the Haitian people have been given 
the incredible opportunity to right the wrongs of the past and rebuild 
their nation stronger than ever before.
  Though I commend our government's generous contributions of 
humanitarian assistance and that from foreign nations, Haiti cannot be 
self-sufficient and its recovery cannot be sustainable if a substantial 
amount of its resources must go to paying debts that were amounted out 
of desperation or by repressive, irresponsible regimes.
  Despite previous debt relief, Haiti still owes a total of $709 
million in debts to multilateral financial institutions. Meanwhile, the 
IDB has estimated earthquake damages to total nearly $14 billion.
  How can we in good conscience expect Haiti to send money to foreign 
governments and international financial institutions when there are 
people sleeping in the streets, children going hungry, and schools and 
hospitals reduced to rubble?
  I have long fought for the people of Haiti, both on the island and in 
our own Nation. On this issue in particular, last Congress, I offered 
an amendment which passed the House of Representatives unanimously that 
put Congress on record encouraging the expedited cancellation of 
Haiti's international debt.
  At a time of extreme instability and crisis, Congress and the United 
States government must do all within our power to help ensure a long-
term sustainable recovery for Haiti.
  I applaud Congresswoman Waters for her long-standing commitment to 
debt relief for Haiti and for other deserving nations and urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4573. This 
legislation would direct the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the 
United States Executive Directors at the International Monetary Fund, 
the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank to immediately 
cancel Haiti's debts and urge donors to disburse grants. While Haiti is 
rebuilding, we should allow them to turn a new leaf and not be burdened 
by overwhelming debt.
  Last month I visited Haiti and witnessed firsthand the destruction 
caused by the massive earthquake of January 12, 2010. It is estimated 
by the Haitian government that well over 200,000 Haitians have been 
killed and 3 million have been affected by the natural disaster. It is 
imperative that this body help its neighbor in its time of need and 
make a significant long-term reconstruction commitment.
  Haiti has had a long history of multilateral institutions 
distributing aid in the form of loans. At its peak, Haiti had a total 
external debt of $1.8 billion. In recent years the United States has 
advocated debt forgiveness and the international community recently 
responded last summer by forgiving $1.2 billion in debt to multilateral 
institutions.
  I strongly support the legislation, which rightly argues that future 
aid to Haiti should be in the form of grants instead of loans. This 
must be kept in mind at the Haiti donor conference scheduled for later 
this month at the United Nations.
  Madam Speaker, I am heartened by the public and private support given 
to the victims by millions of our generous fellow Americans. I also 
commend President Obama's unwavering commitment to alleviate the 
suffering.
  Passing today's legislation would help free our struggling neighbor 
from the shackles of debt and offer a glimmer of hope during this time 
of need.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, the earthquake on January 12, 
2010, was the worst disaster to afflict Haiti in over two centuries. 
According to recent estimates, the earthquake has killed 230,000 people 
and displaced another 1.3 million.
  Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with a long 
history of exploitation at the hands of world powers. Now, with severe 
damage to roads, ports, and hospitals,

[[Page H1295]]

and a desperate need for clean water, food, shelter, and basic 
sanitation, Haiti faces reconstruction burdens that may exceed $14 
billion. With such expenses in the future, Haiti is in no position to 
repay the debts it owes wealthy international creditors.
  Madam Speaker, with that in mind I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 
4573, legislation I cosponsored that would promote debt relief for our 
Haitian brothers and sisters.
  The bill urges the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the United 
States executive directors at the International Monetary Fund, IMF, the 
World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other multilateral 
development institutions to use the ``voice, vote, and influence of the 
United States'' to cancel immediately and completely all debt owed by 
Haiti to such institutions; suspend Haiti's debt service payments to 
these institutions until the debts are canceled completely; and provide 
additional assistance from these institutions to Haiti through grants 
so that Haiti does not accumulate additional debt.
  Despite significant debt relief last summer, Haiti owes a total of 
$828 million in debt to multilateral financial institutions, including 
$447 million to the Inter-American Development Bank, $284 million to 
the IMF, $39 million to the World Bank, and $58 million to the 
International Fund for Agricultural Development. Haiti also owes about 
$400 million to other individual countries.
  Madam Speaker, it is abundantly clear that extraordinary 
circumstances render impossible Haiti's timely repayment of this debt. 
Furthermore, our humanity should compel us to extend a compassionate 
hand to our neighbors in need.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am proud to be an original 
cosponsor of H.R. 4573.
  As my colleagues have explained, this bill calls on the U.S. 
Secretary of the Treasury to take certain measures to enable Haiti's 
debt relief and to provide additional assistance to Haiti from 
multilateral development institutions in the form of grants.
  The United States cancelled all of Haiti's outstanding debt to the 
U.S. in September of last year.
  Similarly, Haiti has already received hundreds of millions of dollars 
in debt relief from the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, 
IDB.
  However, it still retains significant debt to various bilateral 
donors, the IMF, and the IDB.
  By passing this measure, we can help to minimize the enormous fiscal 
pressures facing the Government of Haiti in the aftermath of its tragic 
earthquake so that its limited resources may be used for more immediate 
priorities.
  Also, by encouraging the use of grants versus loans, Haiti will have 
the opportunity to take advantage of certain resources from these 
institutions without increasing its future financial burdens.
  This bill will help prevent Haiti from getting in over its head at a 
time when every penny counts.
  It also recognizes the important role that other bilateral donors 
play in the long-term recovery efforts of Haiti.
  By calling on other bilateral, multilateral and private creditors to 
provide debt cancellation to Haiti, H.R. 4573 underscores the concept 
of shared responsibility.
  An integrated approach based on a coordinated and transparent 
distribution of responsibilities will prove essential to a successful 
response to Haiti's catastrophic disaster.
  I thank Congresswoman Waters for introducing this important measure.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4573, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to urge the Secretary 
of the Treasury to instruct the United States Executive Directors at 
the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Inter-American 
Development Bank, and other multilateral development institutions to 
use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to cancel 
immediately and completely Haiti's debts to such institutions, and for 
other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________