William R. Richardson: “over the Memorial Day recess, I joined members of the House Intelligence Committee on an official factfinding mission to…”

“over the Memorial Day recess, I joined members of the House Intelligence Committee on an official factfinding mission to Haiti. I had the opportunity to view first hand the destruction that has been wrought on that country by a belligerent band of military thugs headed by General Cedras. Madam Chairman, it is a certainty that the horrible disrepair of our Caribbean neighbor will only worsen as long as the military junta continues to rule. Madam Chairman, on May 24, the House considered a sense-of-Congress amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss]. That amendment required the President to certify to Congress that clear and present danger to citizens of the United States or United States interest existed prior to the United States undertaking any military action, and to establish a temporary safehaven on the Haitian island of Ile de La Gonave for Haitian refugees escaping economic and political hardships on the mainland of Haiti. Madam Chairman, I opposed the amendment then and will oppose it today when the House reconsiders it. Madam Chairman, the Clinton administration's new policy on Haitian refugees makes the Goss amendment unnecessary.”