Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands for yielding me time.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 6504, a 3-year extension of the Haiti HOPE/HELP trade preference program, one of the most important tools for promoting economic stability, job creation, and long-term development in Haiti.

The Haitian people have faced enormous hardships in recent years, after suffering successive political and environmental tragedies. Now is the time for Congress to demonstrate our support for the Haitian people and to promote trade policies that promote stability and spur economic development in Haiti.

In 2020, I led the bipartisan effort to reauthorize the U.S.- Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, which works together with the Haiti HOPE/HELP program to ensure that the manufacturing sector stays invested in Haiti.

For more than a decade, HELP/HOPE has been a lifeline for Haiti's fragile economy. The program allows Haitian manufacturers to export certain goods to the United States duty-free, providing critical market access that has helped to sustain 50,000 jobs, many held by women, and anchor one of the few reliable industries in that country.

However, Haiti HOPE/HELP is not just a development initiative. It is a mutually beneficial partnership. American companies rely on Haiti as a near-shore sourcing location that is close to U.S. markets, supports resilient supply chains, and provides competitively priced apparel that helps keep costs affordable for American consumers. This partnership strengthens both of our economies and creates opportunity abroad while boosting economic activity right here at home.

Today, however, Haiti faces extraordinary political unrest, economic strain, and humanitarian need. Just as families are struggling to afford basic goods, this vital program is set to expire. Without this critical trade preference, Haitian exporters will face sudden and steep tariff increases. For many factories, these added costs are unsustainable. This result would be devastating: widespread job loss, factory closings, and further destabilization of a country already in crisis.

We should be clear about what is at stake. Allowing Haiti HOPE/HELP to lapse would not only undercut one of the few functioning economic pillars in Haiti, but it would also push families deeper into hardship, increasing migration pressures, and eliminating a key source of stability in our hemisphere.

Congress must act now. Businesses rely on this critical program both in Haiti and the United States. Workers need the reassurance that these jobs will not vanish overnight. Our close neighbor, just 700 miles from our shore, needs the continued support of this very important program.

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Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands for her leadership. I thank the chair, Chair Jason Smith, as well as Ranking Member Neal for ensuring that this bill continues to have bipartisan priority in our committee.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this extension and to protect the partnership that delivers real and measurable benefits for both Haiti and the United States.

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