[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 8 (Monday, January 12, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H642-H645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HAITI ECONOMIC LIFT PROGRAM EXTENSION ACT
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 6504) to extend duty-free treatment provided with
respect to imports from Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic
Recovery Act, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6504
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 Economic Lift Program
Extension Act''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF SPECIAL RULES FOR HAITI UNDER CARIBBEAN
BASIN ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT.
Section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act
(19 U.S.C. 2703a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by amending subparagraph (B)(v)(I) to read as follows:
``(I) Applicable percentage.--The term `applicable
percentage' means 60 percent or more on and after December
20, 2017.''; and
(ii) by amending subparagraph (C) to read as follows:
``(C) Quantitative limitations.--The preferential treatment
described in subparagraph (A) shall be extended, during each
period after the initial applicable 1-year period, to not
more than 1.25 percent of the aggregate square meter
equivalents of all apparel articles imported into the United
States in the most recent 12-month period for which data are
available.''; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``in each of the 16
succeeding 1-year periods'' each place it appears and
inserting ``in any of the succeeding 1-year periods''; and
(2) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:
``(h) Termination.--The duty-free treatment provided under
this section shall remain in effect until December 31,
2028.''.
SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN ARTICLES FOR
PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT.
(a) In General.--The President shall proclaim such
modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United
States as may be necessary to restore the eligibility of
articles described in subsection (b) for preferential
treatment under section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic
Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703a).
(b) Articles Described.--An article described in this
subsection is an article that--
(1) was eligible for preferential treatment under section
213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C.
2703a) on December 20, 2006; and
(2) became ineligible for such treatment after that date
and before the date of the enactment of this Act as a result
of revisions to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
(c) Effective Date of Proclamation.--A proclamation under
subsection (a) shall take effect not earlier than 2 business
days after the President submits to the Committee on Finance
of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the
House of Representatives a report on the proclamation and the
reasons for the modifications to the Harmonized Tariff
Schedule under the proclamation.
SEC. 4. RETROACTIVE APPLICATION.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 514 of the Tariff
Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1514) or any other provision of law,
and subject to paragraph (2), any entry of a covered article
to which duty-free treatment or other preferential treatment
under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C.
2701 et seq.) would have applied if the entry had been made
before September 30, 2025, that was made--
(1) on or after September 30, 2025, and
(2) before the date of the enactment of this Act,
shall be liquidated or reliquidated as though such entry
occurred on the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Requests.--A liquidation or reliquidation may be made
under paragraph (1) with respect to an entry only if a
request therefor is filed with the Commissioner of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act that contains
sufficient information to enable such Commissioner--
(1) to locate the entry; or
(2) to reconstruct the entry if it cannot be located.
(c) Payment of Amounts Owed.--Any amounts owed by the
United States pursuant to the liquidation or reliquidation of
an entry of a covered article under paragraph (1) shall be
paid, without interest of any kind, not later than 90 days
after the date of the liquidation or reliquidation (as the
case may be).
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered article.--The term ``covered article'' means an
article from Haiti.
(2) Entry.--The term ``entry'' includes a withdrawal from
warehouse for consumption.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Ms.
Plaskett) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6504, the Haiti
Economic Lift Program Extension Act, introduced by my colleague,
Representative Murphy.
This legislation extends the HOPE and HELP trade preference programs
which provide trade preferences for certain apparel and textile imports
from Haiti.
Haiti has endured years of profound hardship, political instability,
economic collapse, and repeated natural disasters. As our bill author,
Dr. Murphy, shares from his time serving as a medical missionary in
Haiti, these trade programs represent an economic lifeline that
supports tens of thousands of jobs and sustain one of the last
remaining formal industries in the country.
Failing to extend these programs would further destabilize an already
fragile situation, worsening humanitarian conditions. Strengthening
economic opportunity in Haiti promotes regional stability, pushes back
on malign actors trying to gain influence with our neighbors, and
advances U.S. interests. Prosperity in our hemisphere enhances security
right here at home.
Renewing HOPE and HELP supports nearshoring and more resilient supply
chains, benefiting American workers and businesses, while reducing
reliance on distant and unreliable sources.
I commend Dr. Murphy for his leadership on this issue. Through his
numerous trips to Haiti, he has seen firsthand the human consequences
of economic collapse. He also understands the value these programs
provide to American businesses, including those in North Carolina that
have built reliable partnerships in Haiti.
Last month, the Ways and Means Committee passed this bill
unanimously, 41-0, a strong bipartisan signal that these programs work.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and
I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1740
Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 6504, the Haiti Economic Lift Program
Extension Act.
For over 15 years, Haiti HOPE/HELP programs have supported both U.S.
and Haitian textile industries by granting Haiti duty-free access for
apparel and textile products.
Building strong business ties between two neighboring nations, this
bill, the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act, reauthorizes the
HOPE/HELP trade preference program for an additional 3 years, through
December 2028.
[[Page H643]]
The bill also restores eligibility for certain textiles that were
initially eligible for duty-free treatment but became ineligible due to
changes in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
I thank Ranking Member Neal, Chairman Smith, and Dr. Murphy, and I
especially thank my longtime friend and fellow Georgetown University
alumnus, Haiti's Ambassador to the United States, Lionel Delatour, for
their leadership in keeping the light of Haiti HOPE/HELP alive here in
the House of Representatives.
Many American manufacturers, as well as Haitian civil society, have
pushed for the extension of trade relations with Haiti.
Of course, we thank the committee's Trade staff, led by Alexandra
Whittaker, Mr. Rueda, Mr. O'Donovan, as well as former U.S. Trade
Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, who have supported our work to
reauthorize the program for many years.
We all know that Haiti faces overlapping humanitarian, political, and
economic crises and needs both economic and political stability. The
circumstances require immediate action. More than 60 percent of the
people of Haiti are living below poverty lines, and over 25 percent of
the population live in extreme poverty. The 37 percent youth
unemployment rate, combined with declining female literacy and lower
school enrollment rates, as well as the crime and gang violence we all
know about, makes finding skilled work very difficult.
I include in the Record links to two articles. One is ``Locked in
Transition: Politics and Violence in Haiti,'' by the International
Crisis Group. The link can be found here: https://www.crisisgroup.org/
latin-america-caribbean/caribbean/haiti/107-locked-transition-
politics-and-violence-haiti
The second is the ``World Report 2025: Rights Trends in Haiti.'' The
link can be found here: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-
chapters/ haiti
Madam Speaker, the security crisis and political instability have
been compounded by a dire humanitarian situation.
According to the World Bank, over 64 percent of Haiti's population of
11.7 million lived on less than $3.65 per day in 2024. The World Food
Programme has identified Haiti as having one of the highest proportions
of acute food insecure people in any crisis worldwide. In a report
covering August 2024 to February 2025, about 5.5 million people require
humanitarian assistance, and 4.5 million are facing acute food
insecurity.
The apparel sector has incredible importance to Haiti's economy and
is the foundation for the country's economic development. When we talk
about the economic development of Haiti, let's not forget its history
and the circumstances that have led to the crisis and compounded the
situation that they are in.
Many of us here in this Chamber may be aware of Haiti's history, but
I remind my colleagues of a critical fact: In 1825, for their freedom,
France demanded that Haiti pay. The initial debt was 150 million in
gold, later reduced to 90 million in gold, which equals approximately
$560 million in today's currency. It took Haiti 122 years to pay off
this ransom. Imagine the United States had been forced to compensate
Britain for our independence.
It is estimated that between $21 billion and $115 billion in economic
losses have occurred because Haiti had to pay this fee, a fee for
freedom. That has instead, of course, led to Haiti's economic dire
straits that we see today.
It is our support of Haiti, as well as the economic benefits to the
United States that we receive through its apparel, which will help lift
them. Given the cascading job losses and extreme security crisis, Haiti
cannot afford to wait any longer for reauthorization of this vital
program.
Haiti is our strategic ally. It is one of the few countries in the
hemisphere that still recognizes Taiwan. U.S. support for Haiti's
apparel sector is mutually beneficial. Haitian apparel utilizes a great
deal of American-grown cotton, and when it is in place, it plays an
essential role in shifting supply chains out of China and into the
Western Hemisphere.
I thank my colleagues for supporting Haiti and its people, and I
thank them for supporting the Caribbean hemisphere.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6504,
the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act.
The Haiti HELP/HOPE program provides significant benefit to both the
U.S. and Haiti. These preferences can deliver tangible results in Haiti
while also supporting our goals for diversification.
Providing duty-free access for textiles and apparel from Haiti leads
to more affordable products for U.S. consumers while creating in-
country opportunities for Haiti's workforce.
The apparel and textiles industry is important for the Haitian
people, providing economic stability throughout times of uncertainty
and unrest.
As President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said: ``World trade helps to
lay the groundwork for peace by making all free nations of the world
stronger and more self-reliant.'' While times have changed somewhat
since these words were spoken, the message still rings true.
As a key pillar of our economic engagement with Haiti, the HELP/HOPE
program has supported industry growth while encouraging a more stable
business environment. However, as with AGOA and other expired
preference programs, Haiti HELP/HOPE should not be the extent of our
engagement. Congress and the Trump administration must develop
additional strategies to work with Haiti to create a more sustainable
and self-reliant economy.
A more stable Haitian economy supports American companies that seek
to do business there, creating a supply chain for those products as we
diversify away from China.
Onshoring and nearshoring of critical industries cannot leave
opportunities within our own hemisphere on the table. We have the
opportunity today to reassert congressional commitment to fostering
security and prosperity in Haiti, supporting businesses that are
already operating in Haiti or looking to establish new supply chains.
Reauthorizing Haiti HOPE/HELP is the right thing to do. It is in our
interest to support stability in Haiti, and I encourage my colleagues
to join me in supporting this bill.
Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman
from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).
Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin
Islands for yielding me time.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 6504, a 3-year extension of the
Haiti HOPE/HELP trade preference program, one of the most important
tools for promoting economic stability, job creation, and long-term
development in Haiti.
The Haitian people have faced enormous hardships in recent years,
after suffering successive political and environmental tragedies. Now
is the time for Congress to demonstrate our support for the Haitian
people and to promote trade policies that promote stability and spur
economic development in Haiti.
In 2020, I led the bipartisan effort to reauthorize the U.S.-
Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, which works together with the
Haiti HOPE/HELP program to ensure that the manufacturing sector stays
invested in Haiti.
For more than a decade, HELP/HOPE has been a lifeline for Haiti's
fragile economy. The program allows Haitian manufacturers to export
certain goods to the United States duty-free, providing critical market
access that has helped to sustain 50,000 jobs, many held by women, and
anchor one of the few reliable industries in that country.
{time} 1750
However, Haiti HOPE/HELP is not just a development initiative. It is
a mutually beneficial partnership. American companies rely on Haiti as
a near-shore sourcing location that is close to U.S. markets, supports
resilient supply chains, and provides competitively priced apparel that
helps keep costs affordable for American consumers. This partnership
strengthens both of our economies and creates opportunity abroad while
boosting economic activity right here at home.
[[Page H644]]
Today, however, Haiti faces extraordinary political unrest, economic
strain, and humanitarian need. Just as families are struggling to
afford basic goods, this vital program is set to expire. Without this
critical trade preference, Haitian exporters will face sudden and steep
tariff increases. For many factories, these added costs are
unsustainable. This result would be devastating: widespread job loss,
factory closings, and further destabilization of a country already in
crisis.
We should be clear about what is at stake. Allowing Haiti HOPE/HELP
to lapse would not only undercut one of the few functioning economic
pillars in Haiti, but it would also push families deeper into hardship,
increasing migration pressures, and eliminating a key source of
stability in our hemisphere.
Congress must act now. Businesses rely on this critical program both
in Haiti and the United States. Workers need the reassurance that these
jobs will not vanish overnight. Our close neighbor, just 700 miles from
our shore, needs the continued support of this very important program.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from Alabama.
Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin
Islands for her leadership. I thank the chair, Chair Jason Smith, as
well as Ranking Member Neal for ensuring that this bill continues to
have bipartisan priority in our committee.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this extension and to
protect the partnership that delivers real and measurable benefits for
both Haiti and the United States.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler).
Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for his leadership
and bringing this bill forward. I thank Dr. Murphy for his leadership
along with our subcommittee chairman, Adrian Smith, as well.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Haiti Economic Lift
Program Extension Act.
In my Hudson Valley district just north of New York City, we have a
vibrant Haitian community. It is actually one of the largest Haitian
diaspora communities in the country, and it has been an honor
representing these great people and working with them over these many
years.
One of the things that they have taught me is that the American
people and the people of Haiti are interconnected. We have such
historic ties that go beyond the current political crisis, so it is
imperative that we step up and help uplift Haiti out of the present
circumstances.
Since their President was assassinated just a few years ago, the
Haitian people have endured hardship. They have endured political
unrest, and they have endured gangs engaging in kidnapping. The Haitian
people need hope, and they need support from the American people.
The HOPE/HELP preferential trade program helps do just that. It
lowers costs for Haitian businesses to export goods to the U.S.,
bolstering both economic development and stability for critical Haitian
industries. It helps move the country forward in a moment when they
need it most.
Forty percent of the Haitian population lives in the United States of
America. Our ties are longstanding, and it is in our interests to have
stability in a critical part of our hemisphere. As we see this
administration prioritize our hemisphere and focus on the challenges
throughout, in Venezuela, in Cuba, and in Colombia, it is imperative to
have a strong partnership with Haiti.
This legislation comes at a critical moment. I was proud to cosponsor
this, and I was proud to support Dr. Murphy and Chairman Smith's
efforts to get this across the finish line in a bipartisan way.
I thank my colleagues across the aisle, folks like Greg Meeks, our
ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, who has worked on
numerous issues pertaining to Haiti with me on that committee, and we
will continue to do so because it is imperative that we have a vibrant
partner in the Caribbean.
Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this
legislation.
Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, let me just thank the
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the reauthorization of the
Haiti-specific U.S. trade preference programs. Haiti, of course, is
suffering from grave instability and security risks.
As we know, the ransom that Haiti paid to colonial France for its
freedom continues to be at the cornerstone of its instability. I am
telling you, Madam Speaker, that the least and the minimum that the
United States can do to help stabilize the incredibly precarious
situation in a land a stone's throw away from our shores, is to
reauthorize these programs.
President Trump has lifted up the need to fortify economic and
security interests in our hemisphere, and I can think of no better way
to buoy these interests than support the bipartisan HOPE/HEALTH
programs.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Lawler). The time of the gentlewoman has
expired.
Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman.
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. These programs are not without need of
reform. However, reauthorization is crucial to the economic growth and
stability and to protect our economic security and interests in our
hemisphere.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands has
9 minutes remaining.
Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Meeks), from Queens, who is the ranking member of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6504, the
Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act.
First, as all have done, I thank the distinguished gentleman from
North Carolina, Dr. Murphy, for his leadership in bringing this bill to
the floor and for his partnership because we worked closely together to
try to make sure that Haiti is given an opportunity to alleviate the
suffering of the people of Haiti.
I also, again, can't help but celebrate the legacy of the former
chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, Charlie Rangel, who
championed meeting our moral responsibility to support stability and
dignity for Haitians.
That is precisely what this bill does today. The Haiti Economic Lift
Program Extension Act provides an economic lifeline to tens of
thousands of Haitian families facing a gang-fueled humanitarian crisis
that gets worse by the day.
The dire conditions on the ground in Haiti, driven by brutal, armed
gangs, cannot be understated, and 1.4 million Haitians, over 10 percent
of the country's population, are internally displaced. One-half of the
country's population experiences life-threatening levels of hunger.
Diseases such as cholera have spread as an increasing number of
Haitians lack adequate access to drinking water, food, and healthcare.
{time} 1800
Every family that is employed through the HOPE/HELP trade preference
before us today for extension is a family less vulnerable to gang
coercion, extortion, or recruitment.
There is no path to stability in Haiti without creating a foundation
for economic opportunity. The HOPE/HELP program does exactly that. We
simply cannot afford to abandon the thousands of Haitian families who
depend on this program, nor the economic lift to our region that it
will provide.
As the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett), knows
best, because of her commitment to the Caribbean, this is a very
important bill.
Lastly, let me say to Chairman Smith, who goes to the gym in the
morning and for months said to me
[[Page H645]]
time and time again he will continue to work tirelessly until he gets
this bill done: I thank him for doing this and doing it in a bipartisan
way with Ranking Member Neal and others.
This is the way we can do good in the United States House of
Representatives and good for people who are in need.
Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Mr. Speaker, we have had some tremendously wonderful discussions
during this debate period over this legislation.
Without reauthorization, companies will increasingly shift their
production away from Haiti unless it is clear that HOPE/HELP will
continue. We can't have that. I am so grateful that we have bipartisan
support of Members who are interested in that. From all over our
country--North Carolina, New York, Wisconsin--Members routinely
understand our relationship with Haiti, one of our near neighbors.
There was discussion about Charlie Rangel, who was the former chair
of Ways and Means, and was indeed in some ways the author of this
legislation conceiving of it, representing Harlem, the Lion of Lenox
Avenue.
He was also a veteran of the Korean war, and he would remind us that
Haitian soldiers--we are in our anniversary now in this year of 2025 of
our independence, our Declaration of Independence--fought with us under
the Siege of Savannah in 1779, willing to fight for our freedom,
willing to support us in our battle to become the great Nation that we
became. It is now our imperative to help them, as well.
It is my hope that this short-term, 3-year extension will preserve
production and jobs in Haiti while providing a runway for Congress to
further strengthen this program.
As you can see, in 2024, more than $92 billion in exports were done
to the Caribbean and $500 million in Latin America. Indeed, this is a
region that the United States must be engaged in. It is mutually
beneficial for us to have economic ties not only in Latin America but
with our Caribbean neighbors, for them to be strengthened both
politically and fiscally.
I thank my colleagues, again, for supporting Haiti and its people. I
thank them for supporting the hemisphere. I particularly want to thank
Chairman Smith for moving this legislation through regular order,
committee markup, and now here on the House floor. I thank him for
working with Ranking Member Neal as well as not just the Ways and Means
members but members from other committees who also have jurisdiction
over this matter.
Mr. Speaker, I thank everyone and urge support of this legislation,
urge its passage as we move it through the Senate, and into
reenactment. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remainder of
my time to close.
This bill represents a practical, bipartisan step toward stability,
security, and shared prosperity right here in our hemisphere.
By renewing the HOPE and HELP programs, we reinforce an effective
trade partnership that supports jobs in Haiti, strengthens American
supply chains, and advances our nearshoring goals. At a time when Haiti
faces extraordinary challenges, Congress should not end a program that
has proven to be a force for economic opportunity and regional
stability in our hemisphere.
This legislation passed the Ways and Means Committee unanimously
because members on both sides recognize the humanitarian and strategic
value these programs provide. A stable economy in Haiti contributes to
a more secure United States.
I commend Dr. Murphy for his leadership, and I urge adoption of the
Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 6504, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________