Political Quotes

“I fully support helping to relieve the suffering of people in the Caribbean. The news reports of the death and destruction in Haiti, Greneda and elsewhere in the Caribbean is just terrible. We all want to reach out and help our neighbors who are suffering. USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance has been on the ground distributing emergency aid since just after these storms hit. The $50 million aid package proposed by the Administration is, by all measures, a good start. But, it should not be considered an end to U.S. assistance. The current proposal represents what the Administration believes can be spent in the first year. By way of comparison, $52 million was expended during the first year of implementing disaster reconstruction after Hurricane Mitch hit in 1999. I expect to see more aid going to the Caribbean in subsequent years. Mr. Speaker, while I believe that $50 million is not sufficient to meet the needs of the Caribbean in the long term, I do believe it is enough to meet the immediate needs of those nations hardest hit. To meet the long term needs of these countries, I would support an effort to provide additional reconstruction funds. Although I am retiring, I am willing to work with my colleagues to secure long term assistance for the Caribbean nations before I go.”