To accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the relief of victims of the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank all of the Members that are here and the bipartisan support that we have for this great piece of legislation to not only incentivize Americans who continue to do what they have already done, to be able to help the people of Haiti, to be able to take off their contribution or get the tax benefit for giving in their 2009 taxes. I think it is important that we have a strong vote on this piece of legislation.

The Haitian people--I was just there. I spent 2 days on the ground there. Humanitarian workers are working so hard, and the majority of these nongovernmental organizations that people can contribute to are doing the best work on the ground as it relates to the feeding and providing of comfort for the Haitians that are in desperate need of international support at this time. Madam Speaker, I would go even further to say hats off to our emergency response and urban rescue people that are really saving lives every day.

With the contributions that Americans give to organizations that are doing great work on the ground, coupled with the Congress and the House's action today of passing this legislation to allow some benefit to that individual for their contribution, will feed into a better response and a better recovery, not only for Haiti, but to also continue to fulfill our humanitarian commitment to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

So I commend the chairman, the rest of the leadership that signed on to this bill, Republican Whip Cantor, and a number of others that are on the Ways and Means Committee for this bipartisan effort. Thank you so very much.

I am pleased to be a co-sponsor on Chairman Rangel, Majority Whip Clyburn, Ranking Member Camp, and Republican Whip Cantor's bi-partisan bill that will provide an incentive for our citizens to contribute monetary donations to the relief efforts following the devastating January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

I filed an almost identical bill yesterday, H.R. 4467--with many co- sponsors.

Under this bill, if a citizen makes a cash contribution before March 1, 2010, they can take the charitable contribution deduction off of their 2009 income taxes, obviously decreasing their 2009 tax liability.

The American people have shown an outpouring of support for the Haitian people during their most vulnerable moment.

There have been countless donations from individual Americans offering whatever help they can.

Now is the time to give an added boost to the nation's charitable spirit by accelerating income tax benefits for Americans making donations.

I just returned from Haiti, witnessing first hand the horror and devastation of the earthquake.

I represent more Haitian Americans than any other Member of Congress, and my district includes Little Haiti in Miami.

With so many of my constituents in pain, I am happy to be a part of this effort to help the Haitian people and all victims of this disaster.

This bill will not only help increase contributions.

But as the bill only applies to cash contributions, the bill encourages the much needed cash to be donated.

Since the night of the earthquake, I have fielded regular calls from constituents who were stranded, and lost loved ones in Haiti.

Last Thursday night in Miami, I convened in four hours an emergency community wide meeting attended by 300 plus people to coordinate the rescue effort amongst first responders, relief experts, and the Haitian American community in Miami.

On Saturday I met with Vice President Biden in Miami in Little Haiti and then again at Homestead Reserve Base in Homestead Florida.

On Saturday night, I bought my own 1 way ticket from Miami to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on American Airlines.

I landed at 12:30 a.m. (Sunday morning), secured a drive from a Dominican local and together they drove through the night to the Dominican-Haiti border and then crossed into Haiti during sun up arriving at the airport at around 7a EST on Sunday.

Never have I seen such devastation.

I witnessed the rescue of a young 2 year old that has moved me emotionally like nothing before.

Also, let's not forget that Haiti has come to America's aid before.

As an ally Haiti has been instrumental in the forming of our union.

In the Revolutionary war, Haitians fought with Americans for our independence.

Even as recently as 2005, Haiti again came to the aid of ailing Americans as the country offered support in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

I am pleased to be a part of this legislation that will help boost our help to Haiti.

What the Chairman's bill (and your bill) does:

This bill will accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the relief of victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

Under current law, a taxpayer is allowed to deduct charitable contributions in the taxable year the contribution is made.

The bill asks for an exception to this for cash contributions made to the Haitian relief efforts: A taxpayer who contributes a cash contribution in January or February, 2010, will be allowed to take the charitable contribution deduction in the 2009 taxable year instead of having to wait for the 2010 taxable year.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4462) to accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the relief of victims of the earthquake in Haiti, as amended.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, all of us have witnessed this horrendous event that has taken place on our continent; and I know that, whether Republican or Democrat, we all want to be able to do whatever we can to ease the pain of these poor people. That's why I'm glad that Mr. Herger is here representing the Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee, which did not hesitate to meet and decide on just what we could do as a committee to make it easier to encourage people to make contributions. I know all over the country that people are collecting clothes, food, and things of that nature; but the bottom line is that they need cash; they need checks. This is what we have decided to do.

So we have a nonpartisan bill here on this which deals with the technicality. It's available on the Web site of the Joint Committee, www.jct.gov, and it's listed under Document No. JCX-2-10.

This bill allows Americans and others to make generous cash contributions to the charities of their choice; and at the same time, it allows them not to have to wait until next year to be able to deduct these as charitable contributions. It accelerates the time that this can be done between now and March so that any contribution that is made can be deducted on the 2009 tax return, which is being prepared now for April 15.

In addition to that, there has been some question as to how you can document the actual payment if it were made on the cell phone or if it were made without actually having proof of a charitable deduction. The only proof that could be made would be by using the telephone bill, and there was a question as to whether or not that would be considered as sufficient evidence of making the contribution. This bill will, indeed, make it possible for text messages to be relied upon, text messages which are used on cell phones, when claiming these charitable contributions.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Meek). He is a member of the Ways and Means Committee, but, more importantly, he has been so closely identified in the bringing back of Haiti before this tragedy. He has been there, and we admire and respect the contributions he is making to rebuild this great nation.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to yield 2 minutes to the majority whip, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn). There is no question that he has provided the leadership on this issue and inspired the Ways and Means Committee and so many other Members in the Congress. Haiti has a true friend in the heart of Jim Clyburn, our Democratic whip.

I yield 2 minutes to a member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4462, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I close this on the high note that America has shown its greatest, especially in this Congress. I want to thank Scott Murphy, a new Member, for insisting that we move forward on this. Of course, the Republicans, Mr. Herger and Mr. Camp, who joined together with Democrats to prove that when Americans want to do things, that party labels don't really mean that much. I do hope that the rest of the country would see what we have done and take advantage of this legislation in order to make certain that they have an accurate recording of the contributions that they make through the telephone as well as to take advantage of the expediting of deductions that are being recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.

I hope everyone would vote for this bill and let this be a symbol as to what this Congress can do. It's not just for Haiti, but for ourselves and the rest of the free world.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from California for the time.

I rise today as an original cosponsor of this bill.

As my colleagues have explained, this important measure would accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions to our relief efforts in Haiti. This means that those who are able to contribute now may receive the tax deduction for the 2009 filing period.

With over $40 million in private and corporate donations already made, this will be a great incentive for the American people to reach even deeper into our pockets and help our friends in Haiti. This, in turn, will augment U.S. Government efforts, demonstrating the clear benefits of public-private partnerships. And it is an important step at a time when we must do more with less in the face of rapidly rising deficits here at home.

There is no doubt that the United States, as a government and as a people, stand side by side with the people of Haiti during this most tragic time. Our assistance efforts so far are unparalleled, and last week, President Obama pledged $100 million in U.S. funding toward the relief efforts.

It is my hope that, after expeditious surveys of the damage, a significant portion of this funding will come from the $845 million in international disaster assistance that this Congress has already appropriated for fiscal year 2010. By pulling from these funds, we will be able to quickly address the humanitarian needs in Haiti right now.

In addition, I urge President Obama to immediately begin efforts to convene an international donors' conference to bring together other responsible nations and international organizations that can join the United States in committing efforts to help the Haitian people recover from this horrible disaster.

Keeping in mind the urgent nature of this much-needed assistance, it remains incumbent upon the U.S. to work to ensure that international donations are pooled and integrated, that pledges are tracked, and that transparency measures are put in place to help ensure that aid reaches those who need it.

Further, we should encourage joint ventures and public-private partnerships as we consider the many ways that we may help promote not only the immediate but also the long-term recovery of Haiti as well. The United States will do its share, but the rest of the world must do its best also. Other nations must not forget about Haiti, once the attention on the crisis has subsided, and leave the U.S., as has been often the case, to bear most of the responsibility for the recovery of Haiti.

Madam Speaker, we have all been deeply moved by the outpouring of support that we have seen from communities across the United States. Unsurprisingly, the Haitian American community has shown invaluable leadership in the aftermath of last week's tragic earthquake. Now more than ever, the U.S. must focus our efforts on engaging these communities to make sure that they are involved in the rebuilding of their native homeland.

The Haitian diaspora is a valuable resource that must be tapped to ensure that the stability, freedom, success, and prosperity that the Haitian people deserve finally come true.

I would like to thank Chairman Rangel and Ranking Member Camp for introducing this important measure. I strongly urge my colleagues to support its passage.

I thank the gentleman again for the time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4462. On January 12, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7 earthquake, which devastated the country and people of Haiti. I have lived for approximately a dozen years in earthquake country, and I know how serious an earthquake of this magnitude is. I wish to extend my deepest sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones in this horrible tragedy. Even in the face of this disaster, the people of the world have united in response through prayer, monetary donations, and critical humanitarian aid. In fact, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported yesterday that over $275 million has already been generously donated worldwide.

I am again humbled by the efforts of humanitarian aid groups based in west Michigan, which has a long history of charitable giving in times of need. The response to this natural disaster has proved no different. I'm grateful to my constituents for their compassion and generosity, which has existed for many years. Humanitarian aid groups in Grand Rapids that are contributing to the relief effort include Rays of Hope for Haiti, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, the Red Cross, and countless others. Even a global corporation located in my district is en route with several flights this week to Haiti, transporting medical supplies and a medical team. The extraordinary efforts by all of these groups are to be commended.

While our country and the world respond to emergency needs in Haiti, I have heard from many in my community who echo my fervent requests to provide additional assistance to the orphans in Haiti. I ask for your continued prayers for the children of Haiti who will soon be united with their adoptive families here in the United States, and especially for those who have been orphaned in the wake of last Tuesday's tragedy. I also urge the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State to greatly speed up the adoption process and visa procedures for not only the orphans already in process but also for all the children who became orphans due to the death of their parents in the horrible earthquake.

I urge my constituents and all Americans to donate to a reputable charity organization for earthquake relief in Haiti. I am very pleased that former Presidents Bush and Clinton are leading efforts through the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund. This bill, H.R. 4462, will allow taxpayers to deduct their donations from their 2009 taxes, and it is my hope that all people who are able will offer their support to the people of Haiti.

May God bless and comfort the people of Haiti.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mr. HERGER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, we have all been moved by the reports and images of last week's horrendous earthquake in Haiti; and we were reminded just this morning of the dire situation that country is facing as reports have surfaced of a major aftershock.

Throughout our history, Americans have been eager to help others recover from the devastation of wars and natural disasters in faraway places. Once again, we have seen the compassion and generosity of the American people displayed front and center in the Haiti relief effort, including an outpouring of real-time donations through cell phones and the Internet. While many of our own U.S. citizens are struggling to find work and to make ends meet, it is only fitting that we should provide immediate tax relief for these charitable contributions.

This bill, which is sponsored by the bipartisan leadership of the Ways and Means Committee, as well as by the whips of both parties and by more than 150 Members from both sides of the aisle, would permit itemizers to treat Haiti-related charitable contributions made through the end of February as if they were made in 2009 rather than in 2010. This would allow itemizers the opportunity to claim the charitable deductions under 2009 returns, which most taxpayers are required to file by April 15 of this year, instead of waiting until they file their 2010 returns.

It would also permit taxpayers who use cell phone text messages to contribute to the relief effort to use their phone bill as a record of their donation. This is a commonsense bipartisan idea, and it deserves the support of every Member. I urge an ``aye'' vote.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to our whip, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor).

Madam Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).

Madam Speaker, in closing, I'd simply say that this is a good bill. It reflects the generosity of the American people in responding to a horrific disaster, and I urge all Members to vote ``aye.''

I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave