Yvette Clarke: “Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my heartfelt condolences and in support of the Haitian people, the Haitian…”

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my heartfelt condolences and in support of the Haitian people, the Haitian American community in the United States and the Caribbean island nation of Haiti, and ask my colleagues to support Resolution 1021. As the representative of the second largest Haitian American population in the United States, this crisis has truly and literally hit home. My office has been inundated and overwhelmed with constituents calling, earnestly trying to find their loved ones. Many of them are hoping family members are still alive and safe, despite the many images of destruction they see in the media. The situation on the ground remains unstable. Lives still hang in the balance, and a speedy and coordinated action is needed to maximize the recovery effort and to mitigate the loss of life. With this resolution, we are sending a unified message to the Haitian people that we stand with them as they mourn the loss of their loved ones and prepare to rebuild their nation. This resolution lets the whole world know that Haiti is as much a part of us as we are a part of them.”