Congresswoman Wilson Statement on Passage of Legislation to Improve Transparency and Accountability in US Assistance to Haiti

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) issued the following statement after the US House of Representatives passed the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act, H.R. 3509 on which she served as an original co-sponsor:

"Four years ago, Haiti suffered a tragic earthquake that claimed over 220,000 lives and devastated almost 3 million livelihoods. While the United States has played an essential role in Haiti's recovery--allocating $651 million to reconstruction activities--a recent report by the Government Accountability Office revealed that only $229.5 million, or 35% of the total funds, have been disbursed. After nearly four years of recovery efforts, there's still a serious deficit of transparency and accountability.

The bipartisan Assessing Progress in Haiti Act of 2013 is an important win for effective foreign assistance and for the people of Haiti. The legislation, which overwhelmingly passed the House, extends and strengthens essential oversight and accountability by requiring the State Department to provide detailed progress reports every 6 months through September 30, 2016."

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