[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 14, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E40]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HAITI ECONOMIC LIFT PROGRAM EXTENSION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. GREGORY F. MURPHY

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 12, 2026

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bill H.R. 
6504, the HELP Extension Act. My legislation provides a three-year 
extension of the HOPE/HELP programs. These are trade preference 
programs which in the past has helped deliver meaningful economic 
opportunities to thousands of people in Haiti who desperately need 
stability, hope, and a path forward.
  I first traveled to Haiti doing medical mission work following the 
devastating earthquake in 2010, and I have returned many times since. 
Through those visits, I have come to know the people of Haiti well. 
They are good, hard-working people who are resilient and strive for 
stability and dignity in the midst of chaos and profound suffering 
caused by political unrest.
  Today, Haiti is facing an unprecedented convergence of crises. 
Rampant gang violence, political uncertainty, and the near-total 
collapse of basic institutions have devastated daily life and pushed an 
already fragile nation to the brink of disaster. In this environment, 
economic stability is not a luxury. It is a necessity to give the 
people an opportunity to have some semblance of a normal life. Jobs 
mean food on the table, children in school, and communities that are 
less vulnerable to criminal influence, corruption and violence.
  The HOPE/HELP programs remain among the few functioning lifelines 
that provide lawful employment and economic stability in Haiti, and it 
is imperative that the U.S. play a role in these endeavors. Extending 
these programs will not by any means solve all of Haiti's challenges, 
but it will preserve jobs, provide employers with certainty, and allow 
them to continue employing hardworking Haitians during an 
extraordinarily difficult time. Stability in Haiti matters deeply to 
the United States. Haiti is in our own backyard. What happens there 
affects the broader stability of our hemisphere. When nations in our 
hemisphere collapse, the consequences inevitably reach our shores. 
Malign influences such as Islamic radicals or dictatorial regimes such 
as Russia and China see an avenue to gain a foothold against the U.S. 
in our region.
  Ensuring stability, opportunity, and lawful economic activity in 
Haiti as a defensive measure, if for not other reasons, is squarely in 
the national security interest of the United States. If these jobs were 
to disappear, it would fuel further instability and risk creating a 
vacuum that could be filled by gangs, transnational criminal 
organizations, or these hostile foreign actors. Without legitimate 
employment opportunities, many Haitians are left with impossible 
choices. Either submit to criminal networks, migrate to another 
country, or starve. So please understand that the HOPE/HELP program is 
a win-win for all parties involved. It is good for Haiti, good for 
America, and good for the security of the Western Hemisphere.
  I would also like to mention a dear friend of mine, Father Rick 
Frechette, a Catholic priest from Connecticut who has served the 
poorest of the poor in Haiti for more than 40 years. He has regularly 
tended to their spiritual and medical needs. Yet at the same time, he 
has, at his own personal peril, rescued hundreds of kidnapped 
individuals held ransom by these murderous bandits that control much of 
Port au Prince. I converse with him regularly, and he provides 
firsthand insight into the worsening conditions on the ground. The 
picture he describes is heart breaking and appalling. Several hospital 
guards have been killed, many hospitals workers forced to leave the 
country, and the threat of criminal gangs continues to be an ever-
present danger. These are the real human consequences of instability.
  We have a moral and national responsibility to act where we can and 
to support policies that prevent further collapse. I urge all of my 
colleagues to support this critical life and nation saving legislation.

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