Political Quotes

“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the people of Haiti who have lost family, friends and loved ones in yesterday's earthquake. I understand that the island as a whole has been devastated, and that the capital city of Port-au-Prince was particularly severely hit. I greatly appreciate the efforts of the Administration and many non-governmental organizations who are working tirelessly to provide emergency aid and assistance. However, as I have long worked in partnership with Haiti to assist in the development of the country, I strongly believe that the Administration's efforts to ameliorate the damage suffered by Haiti should not be limited to simply initial emergency response and aid. The recovery of Haiti will be a lengthy process, particularly since yesterday's earthquake served to further exacerbate the existing humanitarian crisis that was the result of crippling damage inflicted by four hurricanes and tropical storms in late 2008. In this environment, Haiti is simply not in a position to adequately provide for the safety of Haitian nationals upon their return to the country from the United States. Therefore, I will, along with a bi-partisan group of Members of Congress, be asking the Administration to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. TPS will allow Haitian nationals currently in the U.S. to remain until this time of crisis has passed and Haiti is adequately able to handle the safe return of its nationals.…”