Donald M. Payne: “Let me begin by commending Mr. Meeks from New York and Ms. Waters from California for this very important legislation…”

“Let me begin by commending Mr. Meeks from New York and Ms. Waters from California for this very important legislation, H.R. 4573, Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti. I also would like to acknowledge Mr. Bachus for his very impassioned speech. Yet I am not surprised. Mr. Bachus, you may recall, when we were fighting the brutal Government of Sudan, we tried to get capital market sanctions. You supported our legislation that brought Mr. Greenspan to the Senate to say, Defeat the Payne-Bachus legislation because it would disrupt the stock market. So I commend you again for the great work that you have done. Madam Speaker, as we have mentioned, Haiti has had such a tremendous history. Since we know what is in the bill, I might also mention that it was during the Revolutionary War that Haitian soldiers fought in one of the key battles, the Battle of Savannah, where just recently a statue was completed in Savannah. I spoke at the dedication a year or so ago. It turned the tide of the war. Haitian soldiers fought in a number of battles to help the original colonies of the United States become independent from Britain. So they shed blood for our independence. Many people didn't know that. Then, as you know, with the defeat of Napoleon's army by Haiti, as was talked about, the reparations that had to be paid back caused France to be cash poor and land rich.”