CBC Hour

Floor Speech

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Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, it is beyond devastating that our friend and neighbor, the Republic of Haiti, has been hit with yet another terrible natural disaster. My thoughts and prayers are with both the Haitian people during this time of incredible hardship, and my constituents in South Florida whose family and friends have fallen victim to this tragedy.

As you know, the people of Haiti are now experiencing the death, destruction, and aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

Just 600 miles off the coast of Florida, Haiti stands as the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Its nine million people are no strangers to hardship. In its tumultuous recent past, Haiti has experienced violent uprisings and floods that killed thousands of people and wiped out much of their food and infrastructure systems. As a result, they stand at a severe disadvantage and are ill equipped to deal with a tragedy of this scale.

Sadly, many Haitians have been unable to recover from the turmoil of their past, and therefore, remain exceedingly vulnerable to the repercussions of yesterday's powerful earthquake.

Recovery must be our first priority.

I am proud that the United States Government has offered immediate assistance to the people of Haiti.

Both President Obama and Secretary Clinton have pledged America's unwavering support for Haiti during this crisis.

Military officials have said that plans are underway for the hospital ship USNS Comfort to dock off the coast of Haiti to assist the sick and wounded.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is dispatching a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and has activated its partners; the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team and the Los Angeles County Search and Rescue Team.

We must continue to work with the Obama Administration and federal agencies to help marshal necessary humanitarian relief efforts.

In addition, now more than ever, it is clear that Congress must work to enact Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals living in the United States.

TPS would allow Haitians to remain in peace and security in the U.S. while the island recovers.

In 1998 the U.S. government set a precedent when it granted TPS to nationals from Central American countries affected by Hurricane Mitch, and I would like to see the same fairness applied to Haiti.

The United States must continue to provide assistance to bring Haiti out of poverty. I strongly support Congress appropriating robust emergency funds to assist Haiti in the wake of this catastrophe. Such funding is vital to providing stability in that fragile country, and is in our own national security interest.

Mr. Speaker, it is our moral responsibility to help our neighbors in Haiti however we can, and the residents of South Florida can be sure that I will continue to use my position as a Member of Congress to advocate policies that will promote stability and security in Haiti during this time of need.

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