15097: Blanchet: Fw: Dear Colleague letter from Cong. Barbara Lee on HAITI, March 7, 2003 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <MaxBlanchet@worldnet.att.net>


Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 9:12 AM
Subject: Dear Colleague letter from Cong. Barbara Lee on HAITI, March 7,
2003



March 7, 2003

Haiti Aid In Transition Initiative
                     Co-sponsor H. Con Res. 78
Working to end the political sanctions
that jeopardize the lives of
8 million Haitians!

Dear Colleague,

I write to draw your attention to the increasingly desperate situation in
Haiti and the serious humanitarian needs of the Haitian people. The country
faces enormous challenges on all major fronts: socially, politically, and
economically. The HAITI resolution encourages formal normalization of
relations with the International Financial Institutions, and encourages a
greater dialogue between the United States and the Haitian government
regarding democracy and human rights.
Humanitarian Assistance is needed!
· Haiti is the most impoverished nations in the Western Hemisphere and the
fourth poorest country in the world.
· 90% of all HIV and AIDS infections in the Caribbean are in Haiti: over
300,000 infected people have been identified and deaths from HIV/AIDS have
left 163,000 children orphaned.
· Haiti's infant mortality rate is staggering:  74 deaths per 1,000 live
births and the maternal mortality rate is approximately 513 deaths for every
100,000.
· Only 1 in every 10,000 Haitians has access to a physician, and less than
40% of Haitians have access to potable water.
· Cases of TB in Haiti are more than ten times as high as those in other
Latin American countries.

This resolution, calls upon the State Department and the International
Financial Institutions to move forward with true normalized relations, urges
the IMF to develop a Staff Monitoring Program with the Haitian government,
and urges Inter-American Development Bank to release the withheld
humanitarian assistance loans (listed below).  I have listed the basic
necessities these loans would provide:
IDB Loans
Rural Roads Rehabilitation Program  $50 million         Reorganization of
the
Health Sector       $22.5 million
Potable Water and Sanitation        $54 million     Basic Education Program
    $19.4 million
TOTAL:                      $145.9 million

On February 11, 2003, I sent out a similar dear colleague requesting your
support.  Now is the time to fully commit with your co-sponsorship.
Together
we can create legislative solutions to promote democracy and champion human
rights in Haiti.  Please contact Aysha House at 225-2661 to sign on as a
co-sponsor or if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Barbara Lee
Member of Congress

Original Co-sponsors include: Rep. Brown, Rep. Carson, Rep. Christensen,
Rep.
Clay, Wm. Lacy, Rep. Clyburn, Rep. Conyers, Rep Cummings, Rep. Deutsch, Rep.
Frank, Rep Hastings, Rep. Jackson-Lee, Sheila, Rep. Tubbs-Jones, Rep.
Kilpatrick, Rep. Kucinich, Dennis J., Rep. Meek, Rep. Oberstar, Rep. Owens,
Rep. Payne, Rep. Rush, Bobby L., Rep. Schakowsky, Rep Scott, Robert, Rep.
Waters, Rep Watson, and Rep. Woolsey