On the recordMay 5, 2010
As an original cosponsor of H.R. 5160, I rise in support of this bipartisan legislation and urge its immediate enactment to support the ongoing recovery efforts in Haiti. In January, a massive earthquake struck the country of Haiti, killing hundreds of thousands of people and displacing millions more. The quake devastated the country's infrastructure which continues to make the delivery of humanitarian assistance difficult. It is well known that Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere and that the vast majority of Haitians earn less than $2 a day. Helping Haiti permanently recover from this crisis while also strengthening an already struggling Haitian economy will require more than humanitarian assistance--the Haitian people will need jobs. The bill we consider today is an effort to aid job promotion in the country's important textile industry. This measure extends the trade benefits Haiti enjoys under the Caribbean Basin Trade Promotion Act and increases Haitian admission quotas on apparel destined for U.S. markets. This effort, when combined with the Haiti Debt Relief Act which passed in March, should help relieve some of the economic burden on the Haitian people and give them the freedom and the tools they need to begin rebuilding their nation.
