Haitian Security and Economic Support

Floor Speech

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Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and speak on behalf of so many individuals, who do not have the ability to speak, to address a crisis in our hemisphere and a significant threat to American regional stability, our neighbor to the south and our ally from the inception of this country's birth, Haiti.

The elected government of Haiti collapsed some time ago, leaving gangs in control of the capital and raining chaos down upon the Haitian people.

Although Haiti holds the distinction of being the first republic of people of African descent and one of the oldest nations in the Americas, Haiti faces a significant and ongoing humanitarian crisis, overwhelmed by gangs that systematically endanger its democratic process.

Don't be fooled that this does not affect the United States. The persistent failed state situation is an open opportunity for America's adversaries to destabilize the Caribbean region and undermine the security of neighboring nations. We are seeing the outlines of malign actors, including those with whom we are in global competition.

Since President Jovenel Moise's assassination more than 3 years ago, gangs seized complete control, creating a humanitarian catastrophe that has left more than 12,000 people dead and forced nearly 800,000 from their homes. More than 5,000 people in Haiti have been killed by the gangs alone this year.

Just last weekend, more than 180 people were killed in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, as part of a multiday slaughter that was the result of a gang leader massacring older people and those he believed practiced Vodou as a personal vendetta to avenge his son's grave illness.

Without immediate support, the crisis in Haiti will worsen, the criminal network will expand, and Americans will suffer the consequences.

Haiti's Caribbean neighbors do not have the infrastructure or the capacity to accommodate this continued influx of refugees, which has seen hundreds of thousands of Haitian migrants at their borders seeking a safer place to live.

The Multinational Security Support Mission, led largely by officers from Kenya, has never received the support it needs to make an impact in the fight for the security and stability in Haiti. The mission is currently undermanned and underfunded. Many of our closest allies are not close to meeting their pledged obligations, nor have we in Congress given the resources that we said to advance the peace and prosperity of that nation.

In particular, let me single out France. Where is France?

Haiti has long suffered from the legacy of slavery and colonialism and the exploitation of resources by France. Upon winning a revolution, France, with our acquiescence, forced Haiti to pay $28 billion as a debt for their freedom and lost revenues from slavery. France enslaved and trafficked those people, extracted many mountains of wealth from Haiti, and kept taking from the Haitian people long after those people had achieved their personal emancipation and national freedom from the country of France.

The nation of Haiti, with its past, current, and ongoing humanitarian crises, is a testament to the tragedy of that wealth extraction.

I urge our allies to join us in providing meaningful financial support, especially France, to advance stability and allow the people of Haiti to prosper. As I said earlier, the instability in Haiti is not only of humanitarian crisis, but a threat to our national security.

Our adversaries have already set their sights on expanding their reach to the United States' third border in the Caribbean. The continued expansion of Russian and Chinese influence, as well as military support in the region, threatens our national security, our prosperity, and our democratic values.

Depending on what Congress does or does not do will be what will happen to Haiti. The reauthorization of HOPE/HELP trade preference program will keep providing economic opportunities for Haiti.

The apparel sector is one of the last formal sectors of Haiti's economy and represents nearly 80 percent of Haiti's exports. They used to have 60,000 jobs in this area which have now dropped to 25,000.

Congress must act. We as Americans must act, if not just for the Haitian people, then for our own security.

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