[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2563-2564]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE AMERICAN RESPONSE TO THE DISASTER IN HAITI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 3, 2010

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to join my colleagues 
today in recognizing the extraordinary American response to the 
earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010. I am proud to 
support H. Res. 1048, H. Res. 1059, and H. Res. 1066. Each of these 
resolutions honors the courage and sacrifice of the Americans who 
rushed to aid the people of Haiti in their time of need.
  The United States, with its swift and steadfast response, has once 
again demonstrated the common decency and compassion of its citizens. 
When the lives of our neighbors are

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at stake, Americans do not hesitate. In the first 10 days after the 
catastrophic earthquake--the worst to strike Haiti in 200 years--over 
14,000 members of the Armed Forces, thousands of U.S. Army Reserve 
rescue workers, and hundreds of government and volunteer personnel were 
on the ground to provide immediate assistance to the Haitian people. 
While American search and rescue teams pulled survivors from the 
rubble, and Federal employees raced to distribute water, food, and 
medical supplies, the American public donated hundreds of millions of 
dollars to support relief efforts. Remarkably, a recent poll found that 
nearly half of American families had donated, even in the midst of this 
difficult economic recession.
  As I express my gratitude today to every American that has taken part 
in the disaster response, it is not without a heavy heart. Haitians and 
the Haitian-American community have endured unspeakable loss, and the 
road to recovery will be long and difficult. America must continue to 
stand by Haiti and lead the international effort toward its recovery.

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