Senator Reverend Warnock, lawmakers: “The situation in Haiti is dire. The people of Haiti have faced profound political, security, and humanitarian crises with dignity and determination”
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) led a bicameral effort urging the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees Republican leadersto lift their holds on the State Department’s request for $40 million for the Multinational Security Support mission (MSS) to Haiti. The letter was sent to House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-TX-10th) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member James Risch (R-ID). The letter was signed by nine additional Senate colleagues and a total of 42 members of the House.
“The situation in Haiti is dire. The people of Haiti have faced profound political, security, and humanitarian crises with dignity and determination. While the future of Haiti needs to be determined by Haitians, no nation can surmount a challenge of this scale and scope on its own,” wrote the lawmakers.
Haiti is at an inflection point. Funding for the MSS is critical to jumpstart international efforts to improve the security situation. Without such efforts, it is very likely that Haiti will devolve into further chaos and potentially civil war. If the U.S. Congress acts decisively and together, Haiti has a fighting chance,” continued the lawmakers. “If we dither and delay, we are likely to watch as the Haitian National Police collapses, violent gangs overrun the country, and irregular migration to the United States and countries across the region surges.
This effort follows Senator Warnock’s continued support for the island nation. In December, the Senator lead an effort urging the Biden Administration to address the rising state of insecurity and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Haiti. Earlier in the year, the Senator also led a bipartisan group of his colleagues to reintroduce the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act, a bill that supports Haiti’s economic growth and boosts its long-term stability.
“Like you, we regard American leadership as indispensable, not only in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, and other regions far from our shores—but also, and perhaps especially, in our own neighborhood. Again, we urge you to reconsider and lift your hold on this critical assistance,” concluded the lawmakers in their new letter.
In addition to Senators Warnock and Kaine, the letter is signed by Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
The letter can be found HERE and text is below:
Dear Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Risch:
As Members of Congress, we write to respectfully urge you to lift your hold on the State Department’s request for $94 million for the Multinational Security Support mission (MSS) to Haiti.
As you know, the situation in Haiti is dire. The people of Haiti have faced profound political, security, and humanitarian crises with dignity and determination. While the future of Haiti needs to be determined by Haitians, no nation can surmount a challenge of this scale and scope on its own.
The Biden-Harris Administration has strongly supported the establishment of the MSS, under Kenya’s leadership, to pave the way for Haitian security and self-determination.
However, for over six months, congressional Republicans have refused to deliver the necessary resources to carry out this mission, even as the situation on the ground has deteriorated. The instability in Haiti is not only a humanitarian crisis, but a threat to our national security. We believe the MSS would advance the national security interests of the United States, demonstrate American leadership in the Caribbean, and provide a lifeline to the Haitian people.
Haiti is at an inflection point. Funding for the MSS is critical to jumpstart international efforts to improve the security situation. Without such efforts, it is very likely that Haiti will devolve into further chaos and potentially civil war. If the U.S. Congress acts decisively and together, Haiti has a fighting chance. If we dither and delay, we are likely to watch as the Haitian National Police collapses, violent gangs overrun the country, and irregular migration to the United States and countries across the region surges.
As Members of Congress, we have a shared responsibility—to assess how U.S. taxpayer dollars will be used to support the MSS. After more than 90 briefings by the State Department on the proposed use of funds, we believe that the burden of persuasion has been met and that it is time to release the remaining $94 million.
Like you, we regard American leadership as indispensable, not only in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, and other regions far from our shores—but also, and perhaps especially, in our own neighborhood. Again, we urge you to reconsider and lift your hold on this critical assistance.
Sincerely,
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