On the recordDecember 12, 2013
I thank the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the gentlelady from California for yielding time for me to speak in support of H.R. 3509, the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act. As a representative of the second largest population of first- and second-generation Haitian Americans and Haitian immigrants, I appreciate the importance of the bill. It is critical that we expand communication between the executive branch and Congress to keep track of all monetary aid sent to Haiti, ensuring increased accountability and transparency. After the alarming findings of the GAO report and since the January 2010 earthquake, Haitians still live in IDP camps; they continue to fight the cholera epidemic; and with the Haitian Government's very evident challenges in maintaining a sustainable democracy, it is imperative that Congress has all the information necessary to ensure that U.S. foreign aid is being administered effectively. Mr. Speaker, as we look to the fourth anniversary of the horrific earthquake, I am hopeful of the day when we can witness the full recovery and rebirth of the beautiful Caribbean nation of Haiti. But until then, we have a lot of work to do, and that is why I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3509, the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act.
