Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act

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.

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.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Alabama.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

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. 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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler).

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.