U.S. House Votes 411-1 to "express condolences" to the people of Haiti

[HOLLYWOOD]

The Sponsors/Co-Sponsors to the Bill. http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-hr1021/show

Well, the entire Congressional Black Caucus sponsored/co-sponsored this bill

http://www.cbcfinc.org/cbc/cbc-members.html

Rep. Howard Berman [D, CA-28]
Rep. Sanford Bishop [D, GA-2]
Rep. Corrine Brown [D, FL-3]
Rep. George Butterfield [D, NC-1]
Rep. André Carson [D, IN-7]
Rep. Donna Christensen [D, VI-0]
Rep. Yvette Clarke [D, NY-11]
Rep. William Clay [D, MO-1]
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver [D, MO-5]
Rep. James Clyburn [D, SC-6]
Rep. John Conyers [D, MI-14]
Rep. Elijah Cummings [D, MD-7]
Rep. Artur Davis [D, AL-7]
Rep. Danny Davis [D, IL-7]
Rep. Donna Edwards [D, MD-4]
Rep. Keith Ellison [D, MN-5]
Rep. Eliot Engel [D, NY-17]
Rep. Chaka Fattah [D, PA-2]
Rep. Marcia Fudge [D, OH-11]
Rep. Al Green [D, TX-9]
Rep. Alcee Hastings [D, FL-23]
Rep. Mazie Hirono [D, HI-2]
Rep. Steny Hoyer [D, MD-5]
Rep. Jesse Jackson [D, IL-2]
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D, TX-18]
Rep. Eddie Johnson [D, TX-30]
Rep. Henry Johnson [D, GA-4]
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick [D, MI-13]
Rep. John Lewis [D, GA-5]
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy [D, NY-4]
Rep. Kendrick Meek [D, FL-17]
Rep. Gregory Meeks [D, NY-6]
Rep. Gwen Moore [D, WI-4]
Rep. Eleanor Norton [D, DC-0]
Rep. Donald Payne [D, NJ-10]
Rep. Charles Rangel [D, NY-15]
Rep. Laura Richardson [D, CA-37]
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R, FL-18]
Rep. Bobby Rush [D, IL-1]
Rep. Gregorio Sablan [D, MP-0]
Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D, IL-9]
Rep. David Scott [D, GA-13]
Rep. Robert Scott [D, VA-3]
Rep. Albio Sires [D, NJ-13]
Rep. Bennie Thompson [D, MS-2]
Rep. Edolphus Towns [D, NY-10]
Rep. Maxine Waters [D, CA-35]
Rep. Diane Watson [D, CA-33]
Rep. Melvin Watt [D, NC-12]

 

[MelissaWV]

Wait for it....
wait for iiiiiittt......
There it is.

Nah. My favorite is (emphasis mine):

(9) urges the President--
(A) to continue to make available to United States agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private voluntary organizations, regional institutions, and United Nations agencies the resources necessary to confront the effects and consequences of this natural disaster;
(B) to provide, when the emergency subsides, assistance in partnership with the Government of Haiti and in coordination with other donors to begin the reconstruction of Haiti;
(C) to undertake comprehensive assessments of the long-term needs for recovery and development in Haiti, ensure transparency and accountability, and lead coordination efforts with international actors who share in the goal of a better future for Haiti and are willing to support the costs of meeting those needs; and
(D) to utilize new and innovative thinking in providing long-term assistance to Haiti, including tapping into the insight and immense potential of the Haitian Diaspora, to help Haitians rebuild upon the strongest possible foundation, in order to promote a stable and sustainable future for Haiti.

 

[HOLLYWOOD]

Just last year... Maybe RP reflected this just last June. Welfare state of Haiti.

IMF, IDB, World Bank Forgive $1.2 Billion of Haiti's Debt
By Bryan Schaaf on Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

http://www.haitiinnovation.org/en/2009/07/01/imf-idb-world-bank-forgive-1-2-billion-haitis-debt

Center for Economic and Policy Research Debt Economics Governance IDB IMF Jonathan Katz Jubilee Small Business Development World Bank


Jonathan Katz reported that the World Bank, IMF, and IDB canceled $1.2 billion of Haiti's debt Tuesday, freeing up millions of dollars for much needed poverty reduction programs. Needless to say, this is excellent news. Given the scope of Haiti's needs, it never made sense its citizens should have to pay $1.6 million in debt per month, most of which was acquired under dictators that they never voted for. This represents a measure of confidence in the Preval Administration, which now has a bit more economic flexibility than it had before. More info below.

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund said their boards decided this week to forgive Haiti's obligations to the two organizations, a move that triggered previously announced debt relief from the Inter-American Development Bank.


The actions erased nearly two-thirds of Haiti's outstanding debt. As of April, Haiti owned more than $1.9 billion, according to the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research.

"This is a pretty big victory, definitely. This is what we've been wanting," said Dan Beeton, an analyst with the center, said by phone from Washington. "It's a shame it had to take so long."

Until now, the desperately poor country, where more than 80 percent of its approximately 9 million people live on less than $2 a day, has been paying about $1.6 million each month to the World Bank, according to debt relief advocates at the Jubilee USA Network.

A significant portion of the debt forgiven Tuesday dates back to loans that lined the pockets of Haiti's dictators, especially Francois "Papa Doc" and Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, whose father-son dynasty ended in a 1986 popular rebellion.

Haiti was added to the World Bank and IMF's debt cancellation program for heavily indebted poor countries in 2006. The Inter-American Development Bank previously approved debt relief for Haiti, pending its completion of that program.

But it took several years for Haiti to implement reforms that included auditing government accounts, adopting a law on public procurement and strengthening tax and customs administration, as well as debt reporting. Other steps included approving an AIDS prevention and treatment plan, financing school tuition for children and improving immunization rates.

That was accomplished in spite of years of turmoil, including last year's food riots that toppled the prime minister and four tropical storms that killed some 800 people and caused more than $1 billion in damage.

Finance Minister Daniel Dorsainvil praised the announcement in a statement issued through the World Bank, saying the millions freed up from debt payments "will help us invest in growth and poverty reduction programs."

Others were skeptical about the benefits of the move. Haitian economist Kesner Pharel said debt forgiveness will make it far more difficult for Haiti to get new loans, impeding the government's ability to finance much-needed improvements in infrastructure and other areas.


"I don't see the government for the next five to 10 years having a lot of money. It's a bad idea. It's a cost, not a benefit," Pharel said. Haiti is the 26th country to have its debt forgiven under the initiative, a list that includes Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Honduras and Bolivia.