On the recordApril 14, 2010
There's been considerable progress mobilizing international support for Haiti since the introduction of this bill. Multilateral development institutions have already begun to take steps to reduce or cancel Haiti's debts. And on March 31, the United Nations hosted the International Donors Conference for Haiti where leaders of the world's nations pledged $9.9 billion in aid, including $5.3 billion for the first 2 years. I'm encouraged by this progress, and I'm inspired by the outpouring of support for Haiti from the international community. The people of Haiti are poor, but they are physically and spiritually resilient. I know with the support of the international community they will recover from this tragedy and create a better future for their children. Mr. Speaker and Members, in fact, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, and Haiti has experienced extreme devastation for many years.
