Press Release from Congresswoman Barbara Lee
Ninth Congressional District of California
U.S. House of Representatives          
 

PRESS RELEASE          
 For Immediate Release  Contact:  Nathan Britton               
9/13/06 (202) 225-2661         
                               
                                

Barbara Lee Leads Effort to Pass Haiti Aid Legislation

(Washington, DC)  -  After two years of negotiations, the House International Relations Committee approved a sweeping bill to provide economic development, infrastructure reconstruction, and education assistance for Haiti.  The bill was based in large part on legislation introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), who led the effort to reach a bipartisan accord on the measure.

H.R. 611, the Haiti Economic and Infrastructure Reconstruction Act, establishes an economic assistance program for Haiti and recruits qualified Americans, particularly Haitian-Americans for implementing the program.  The economic assistance program includes reconstruction aid for Haiti in the private sector, judiciary, healthcare system, and basic infrastructure.  It also establishes a healthcare assistance program for Haiti to promote the prevention of infectious diseases in Haiti and recommends that $3 million per year should be made available for each program.  It also authorizes $5,500,000 for fiscal years 2007 through 2009 for the creation of scholarship and basic education and university partnership programs in Haiti.

Lee is the Co-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Haiti Task Force.  The following is her statement from the Committee markup of the bill today:

"Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Lantos, thank you for convening this important markup and listing H.R. 611, the Haiti Economic and Infrastructure Reconstruction Act to the markup roster. 

"The Haiti Economic and Infrastructure Reconstruction Act is an important bill that will bring not only hope to Haiti, but present long-overdue humanitarian assistance and hands-on expertise through a professional exchange program.

"The program will establish a professional exchange program (similar to the Peace Corps.) for health, judiciary and infrastructure (engineers) professionals to travel to Haiti and work under the guise of USAID in partnership with civil society and Haitian government ministries. 

"Mr. Chairman, today in Haiti less than 45 percent of Haitians have access to safe water and access to sanitation.  Seventy-six percent of Haiti's children under the age of five are underweight, or suffer from stunted growth and 63 percent of Haitians are undernourished.  Eighty percent of the population lives in abject poverty and the unemployment rate is estimated to be nearly 90 percent.  90 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases in the Caribbean are in Haiti.  

"As we combat global HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, maternal and child mortality, and many other life threatening diseases, we must address the long-term effect of dilapidated physical and health infrastructure and abject poverty throughout the world, including in Haiti. 

"The Haiti Economic and Infrastructure Reconstruction Act partners Haitians and Americans together to execute an environmentally sound approach to rebuilding Haiti.  Its major provisions are aimed at developing the judicial system and basic sanitation, water, and other health infrastructures in Haiti.

"The Haiti Economic and Infrastructure Reconstruction Act would bring U.S. professionals, preferably Haitian Americans down to Haiti in order to train and educate Haitians on how to run a free and fair judiciary, how to rebuild, pave, and maintain roads to provide access to rural and urban areas to health clinics. 

"It is my hope that a transfer of knowledge from US professionals in the fields of the judicial system, health, infrastructure and engineering to Haitians will ensure long term development and guarantee the success of the programs similar to the success of the Global Fund and other international initiatives. 

"By widening the knowledge base of non-governmental organizations and professionals in Haiti, the US will take advantage of a unique opportunity and obligation towards Haiti's future. 

"Mr. Chairman, this bill has been a bipartisan effort and has been endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus' Haiti Task Force. 

"I would like to thank Congressman Foley and his staffer Bradley Schreiber; Congressman Hyde and his staffer Ted Brennan; and Congressman Lantos and his staffer Paul Oostburg.

"I encourage all of my colleagues to vote for this legislation and our efforts to bring additional resources and support to Haiti."

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Nathan Britton

Communications Director

Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee

1724 Longworth House Office Bldg.

ph 202 225-2661

fax 202 225-9817