Ensuring Quality Care for Our Veterans Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2471) to measure the progress of post-disaster recovery and efforts to address corruption, governance, rule of law, and media freedoms in Haiti, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2471, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2471, the Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act.

I thank my friend, Mr. Jeffries, for authoring this bipartisan bill. Mr. Jeffries has been a strong advocate for the Haitian people, and I thank him for his friendship and leadership on this very important issue.

On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti with an epicenter just a few miles west of Port-au-Prince. This devastating natural disaster killed more than 200,000 people, displaced 1.5 million Haitians, and caused billions of dollars in damages.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today with the same message my colleagues and I delivered to the Haitian people 11 years ago: The United States remains steadfast in our commitment to help Haiti however we can.

Over the last decade, Congress has worked closely with the Haitian- American diaspora, the Haitian people, the Haitian Government to support rebuilding and development efforts on the island.

Unfortunately, after Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti in 2016, the country faced another humanitarian crisis, and additional rebuilding and development plans were needed.

Sadly, Haiti still has a long way to go. The Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act evaluates the effectiveness of U.S. recovery and development efforts in Haiti over the past 10 years and devises strategies to promote the rule of law, encourage freedom of the press, combat government corruption, address the root causes of poverty, and improve development efforts.

Helping to pave the pathway to a reconstructed, prosperous Haiti, of course, is a two-way street. We must learn from our mistakes over the past 10 years and devise innovative solutions for any roadblocks that lie ahead.

At the same time, it is imperative that the Haitian Government address the growing and legitimate concerns about the country's deteriorating human rights situation, spiraling gang violence, and often-seen impunity for corrupt officials.

It is the duty of all of us here in Congress to stand with the Haitian people as they demand a safe, prosperous, and democratic Haiti. I urge the Haitian Government to do all they can to engage with their citizens and truly listen to their concerns.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed this bipartisan bill unanimously, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage on the House floor today.

Again, I thank my real friend, Mr. Jeffries, for being such a great champion for Haiti. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Jacobs), a valued member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it is true that Haiti continues to face significant challenges. Yet, I remain optimistic that we can partner with the Haitian people and play a constructive role in the coming critical years of Haiti's recovery. And while we must continue our unwavering support for Haiti, we also must be open to making adjustments moving forward.

By increasing cooperation and being open to new ideas, I am confident that we can support the Haitian people as they seek peace, stability, an end to poverty, and a fully functioning democracy.

We know this is not going to be easy, but we have to stand by the Haitian people and make sure that they have an opportunity to have a better tomorrow, for surely, they deserve it.

Mr. Speaker, let me finally thank, again, Representative Jeffries for authoring this piece of legislation. It is very important, and I know that he has a large portion of the Haitian diaspora in his district, as it is in New York in mine and Representative Clarke's and, of course, in Florida.

We will stand by the Haitian people, not giving up hope, not giving up trust, imploring the Government of Haiti to do the right thing for the people of Haiti by having elections that are free and fair.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my support for H.R. 2471, the ``Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act,'' which modernizes the U.S. foreign assistance strategy to Haiti, and affirms our role as a champion of democracy and good neighbor in the Western Hemisphere.

This legislation, introduced by my colleague, the gentleman from New York, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, would promote transparency within Haitian humanitarian assistance programs, and place democratic values such as good governance, freedom of the press, and human rights at the forefront of our bilateral relationship with Haiti.

Since the catastrophic earthquake on January 12, 2010, which left 220,000 people dead, 300,000 injured, and 115,000 homes destroyed, the United States--in partnership with the international community--mounted an unprecedented humanitarian response.

The United States Government has disbursed more than $4,000,000,000 in recovery and development funding since the disaster struck in 2010.

In 2016, Hurricane Matthew caused widespread damage and flooding, leaving 1.4 million people in need of immediate assistance.

Prior to these catastrophes, Haiti registered among the lowest in socioeconomic indicators and had the second highest rate of income disparity in the world.

Concurrently, democratic backsliding in Haiti undercuts the shared commitment to democracy in our bilateral relationship and stymies our effort to ensure that humanitarian aid is reaching and improving the welfare of the Haitian people.

The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner and the Human Rights Service jointly found a 333 percent increase in human rights violations and abuses from July 2018 through December 2019.

On top of that, parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2019 never took place, and since January 2020, President Jovenel Moise has ruled by decree.

As an original co-sponsor of H.R. 3059, the ``Assessing Progress in Haiti, Act of 2013,'' I maintain an unshaking belief in the Haitian people's resilience, entrepreneurial spirit, and desire for a free and fair political system.

That is why I also staunchly opposed the former president's attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians living in the United States.

In tandem with the U.S. Government, Haiti relies on remittances that its citizens receive from TPS beneficiaries in the United States.

The Haitian community in Texas exemplifies this reality.

As such, I am pleased that Secretary Mayorkas announced a new 18- month designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status.

Following Hurricane Matthew, I called upon Houstonians to do their part in alleviating the suffering of our neighbors in Haiti.

In partnership with local organizations, churches, and the diaspora community, we collected and donated clothing, pillows, nonperishable foods, and other items to help the Haitian people.

Now, I call upon this Congress to answer the call of help--to act in accordance with our long-standing record of supporting the Haitian people in recovering and building a future worthy of their aspirations.

The ``Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act'' is our response to this call for help.

H.R. 2471--a bicameral and bipartisan effort--urgently upgrades our U.S. foreign assistance strategy and strengthens human rights, promotes freedom of the press, and supports disaster resilience and reconstruction efforts in Haiti.

I commend my colleagues, particularly the gentleman from New York, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, for shining a light on this issue, and remaining firm in our commitment to the Haitian people.

Let us, with one voice, irrespective of party, come together and affirm our role as a bulwark of democracy in the world and good neighbor in the hemisphere.

I urge all Members to join me in voting for this long overdue but enormously beneficial legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Haiti continue to suffer from devastating natural disasters, political instability, and fragile public institutions. The country has never recovered from the 2010 earthquake or the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

With their economy unable to recover, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. As a result, the lack of economic opportunity has led to an increase in crime and gang violence. At the same time, civil unrest caused by political instability plagues the island nation.

There are credible accusations of systemic government corruption and human rights abuses, and Haiti is facing a constitutional crisis after failing to organize legislative elections in 2019; meaning, the country has no sitting Parliament at this time.

We continue to strongly urge the Government of Haiti to hold free and fair elections that reflect the will of the Haitian people.

All of these challenges are now compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why I support the Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act. This legislation requires the State Department to assess how effective U.S. assistance is in helping Haiti's recovery efforts.

Haiti remains the second largest recipient of U.S. support in the region. Since 2011, American taxpayers have sent nearly $1.9 billion to assist them with economic development and to support expanding their democracy. It is our responsibility in this Congress to ensure that this money is, in fact, being spent wisely.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 2471, the Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act. I thank Congressman Jeffries for his leadership in offering this important piece of legislation that will ensure that we take stock of U.S. policy in Haiti and measure our progress in addressing corruption, improving governance, and advancing the rule of law.

Haiti is facing one of its worst outbreaks of violence since 1986. This has had a devastating impact on the Haitian people and threatened any long-term progress we have made. We have seen this movie before. Instead of continuing the same approach and hoping for a different outcome, it is critical that as we are conducting our long-overdue review of policy, we are analyzing the drivers and risks of conflict, instability, and violence in Haiti.

This bill sets out to do just that and more. The amendment I offered in committee requires the State Department and USAID to conduct an assessment of conflict, instability, and violence in Haiti, analyzing the systemic patterns and causes of violence and the role of actors and beneficiaries who play a part.

This bill also makes sure that State and USAID are consulting with NGOs and civil society groups in Haiti, a critical step that is often overlooked.

As someone who has worked in conflict stabilization at the State Department, I know how important it is that we understand the root causes of violence in order to craft sound policy and make decisions on where to focus our foreign assistance. This bill would ensure our review of U.S. policy in Haiti takes this important step.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.