H742 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE March 2, 2004 civics education? Should children not mocracy and security in Haiti, and it is Members of Congress call on the be able to articulate those principles? our responsibility to make sure that Bush administration to extend tem- We can argue whether they are right this does not get any worse. porary protected status to Haitian asy- or wrong, but we should be able to have So we, Members of Congress, call lum seekers because returning to Haiti children who can articulate them, un- upon the administration to protect will pose a serious threat to their per- derstand who we are, where we come Haitian lives by restoring order, up- sonal safety. from and where we are going. holding the rule of law and disar- To require the Secretary of Home- I know that this is a stretch for a lot mament across the country. The cur- land Security to designate Haiti under of people. It is hard for a lot of people rent state of affairs in Haiti is chaos. section 244(b) of the Immigration and to get their hands on this because it is The rebels who were empowered by our Nationality Act so that the nationals not an issue that you can condense into inaction must be held accountable and of Haiti present in the United States or a bumper sticker, but I encourage peo- not allowed to benefit from their vio- reaching our shores may be granted ple to think through this and think lence. Humanitarian aid must flow to temporary protected status. This about the possibility that it is impor- Haiti immediately. A humanitarian would mean that both Haitians who are tant for us and for our civilization to corridor with supplies of food and present in the United States and those actually transmit these goals and ideas water and medical equipment must be who may be fortunate enough to make to the next generation. We cannot con- established to provide assistance to the it to shore will not arbitrarily be sent tinue to teach only the negative. Doing beleaguered Haitian people. Humani- back to Haiti until the country is sta- so contributes to the balkanization of tarian aid must flow to Haiti imme- ble. the United States into subgroups, sub- diately. We must support the formula- This administration’s neglect of categories, and hyphenated Americans. tion of a donor conference so the people Haiti and the intentional, systematic In Numbers U.S.A., an organization of Haiti can finally get the kind of as- dismantling of the Haitian social, eco- that does a lot of great work and also sistance that they so desperately need nomic, and political circumstance has a great Website, Numbers U.S.A. and so properly deserve. which culminated in the current polit- talks about the fact that if we continue This administration is misinter- ical instability and provided the envi- as we are in terms of population preting and failing to honor the spirit ronment for a coup d’etat. growth and the source of our popu- of the Haitian constitution. Where is As Members of the Congress, we call lation growth in this country, being 90 Article 149 in the transitional govern- on our leaders in Congress to hold joint percent from immigrants, that by the ment talks? public hearings between the House In- year 2100 two-thirds of the people here So we as Members of Congress call telligence Committee and the Inter- in the United States will be descend- upon this administration to follow the national Relations Committee on the ants of people not yet here at the rule of law and the Haitian constitu- Bush administration’s role in under- present time. Think about that. In 96 tion. In it, Article 149 of the 1987 Hai- mining a democratically elected gov- years, two-thirds of the people living in tian constitution clearly outlines the ernment in, of all places, the western process by which the interim president this country will be descendants of peo- hemisphere. The United States should is appointed and it includes the ratifi- ple not yet here. Think about that and not have allowed the opposition in cation of the legislature. Due to the then think about what we are teaching Haiti without a legislative popular unwillingness on the part of the polit- them, the folks that are coming in and mandate to veto the possibility for ical opposition party’s willingness to the folks that are here about who we peace in Haiti. Now there is mayhem participate in elections, there is no leg- are. How can we expect this new Na- and on-the-spot executions and other islature to confirm the interim presi- tion essentially that will be created by atrocities which are taking place daily. dent; and, therefore, the recently 2100 to be steeped in the same goals and Why did the United States not send sworn in president is, unfortunately, principles and ideas? in a force to reinforce the police when regrettably not ruling pursuant to the Again, Madam Speaker, I hope that a political solution was still possible? Haitian constitution. Why did the United States only act we will be joined by hundreds of thou- On Sunday President Bush said, ‘‘The after that possibility, along with Presi- sands of Americans all over the coun- Haitian constitution is working.’’ How dent Aristide, was removed? Why have try who will be willing to say that it is does he believe just because he said it the rebels not been arrested? Were important for their schools, it is im- that that could make it true? The their actions not illegal? How did the portant for our civilization that we President forgets that when they fail teach children to appreciate the value to respond to the opposition’s rejection leaders of the insurgence, some of of Western civilization and there is of the U.S. brokered peace plan that whom are the most notorious torturers something we all can do about it. I am they had in fact repudiated their own and death squad members, return to going to do what I can do here, State plan for peace. It was just on Monday power? Louis Jodel Chamberlain is a legislators will do what they can do in of last week that Secretary of State former military leader who led a brutal their respective bodies, and then it is Powell said ‘‘The United States will paramilitary group that backed the up to the people of this country to take not support the overthrow of a demo- most recent of Haiti’s coup d’etats in this on and move it forward. It will de- cratically elected government by thugs 1991. The other, Guy Philippe, is a termine whether we are a Nation at all and criminals.’’ charismatic former soldier once loyal in years to come. For the administration to remain to President Jean-Bertrand Aristide f mute while the constitutional process who fled Haiti 3 years ago after being accused of drug dealing and of treason. PROTECT HAITIAN LIVES was thwarted and then to pressure President Aristide, the one who was What are we to say to history? How The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. compromised to resign, is in no way in will we account for this tragic set of BLACKBURN). Under the Speaker’s an- line or in accordance with Haiti’s con- circumstances that have now sur- nounced policy of January 7, 2003, the stitutional process. rounded this poor beleaguered nation? gentleman from Michigan (Mr. CON- Moreover, now that the administra- As of today, the United States Coast YERS) is recognized for 60 minutes. tion has created this constitutional Guard has repatriated 902 Haitian refu- Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, this quagmire in Haiti, it is reprehensible gees to Port-au-Prince despite the es- Special Order is taken in a spirit of to claim that the constitution is work- calating and continuing violence there. deep sadness and regret about the ing. A handful of Haitians only have met events that are going on in the nation the ‘‘credible fear’’ standard required of Haiti. We have come here this b 2145 for asylum. They remain on Coast evening to recommit ourselves to the Our administration is jeopardizing Guard vessels and are being assessed by proposition that the United States has the lives of countless numbers of Hai- asylum officers from the Department a responsibility to prevent the loss of tian asylum seekers by enforcing im- of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Citi- life and the continued deterioration of mediate Coast Guard interdiction with- zenship and Immigration Services. the nation of Haiti. The present admin- out an opportunity for a fair asylum Officials from the Department of istration’s inaction has undermined de- hearing. Homeland Security and Coast Guard VerDate jul 14 2003 03:12 Mar 03, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K02MR7.078 H02PT1 March 2, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H743 have said that Haitians picked up at I believe that not only have we tainted swished away from his home against sea who indicate that they are afraid of the page of democracy but some might his will. The question is who and why returning to Haiti are given interviews say that we have torn it from its book. and who directed it. The question is with asylum officers on Coast Guard As I look over this last weekend and whether or not the United States will cutters. Haitians are not individually the last couple of days in the meetings abide by the governance of inter- asked if they have a fear of return, nor that we held or had with both the Sec- national law and whether or not we are they necessarily spoken to individ- retary of State and the National Secu- will tell the American people the truth.