Stacey Plaskett Discusses Root Causes Of Haiti's Turmoil, Calls For U.S. Help

5 months ago

In House floor remarks on Tuesday, Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) spoke about the turmoil in Haiti.

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript

Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com

Transcript

00:00 record. I would like to now yield to my colleague from the Virgin Islands, Miss Stacey Plaskett.

00:05 Thank you so much to my colleague,

00:09 to Congresswoman Sheila Sherfillis McCormick, as well as to her co-chair,

00:16 Congressman Jonathan Jackson, who have led this special order hour for some time now in

00:24 bringing to America, as well as to other members of Congress, the issues that are important to the Congressional Black Caucus,

00:32 the conscience of the Congress. It is these

00:35 special order hours which really allow our

00:40 colleagues and others to understand those issues which may not get the kind of attention

00:46 through media or even in our hearings that they deserve.

00:51 And so I want to thank them for spending this time to allow us to talk about a

00:57 festering

00:59 crisis that is directly at our border, that Congress has not

01:05 engaged in sufficiently

01:07 to ensure that democracy continues to reign in this near neighbor of ours. The time for dawdling,

01:15 procrastination, pointless disputes,

01:20 reviews, and

01:22 continual talking has long expired.

01:25 Haiti

01:27 cannot wait.

01:28 Haiti is a nation that has endured a tremendous amount of misfortune.

01:33 Although it holds the distinction of being the first

01:37 Republic of people of African descent and one of the oldest nations in the Americas,

01:44 second only to the United States of America,

01:47 Haiti faces a significant and ongoing

01:50 humanitarian, political

01:53 crises. The world has witnessed the Republic of Haiti face a profound political security

02:00 crisis as the nation continues to be overwhelmed now by gangs that

02:06 systematically endanger its democratic process.

02:10 During this period, the U.S. has condemned the violence,

02:14 imposed sanctions on gang leaders, and called to hasten the transition to elections.

02:21 But that is not enough.

02:23 While observing Haiti's plight, the sustained,

02:27 consistent misfortune, lack of access to resource, abject poverty, and rampant corruption,

02:34 one might wonder, what is the root cause of these issues?

02:38 I know I have. I know others have. They have said, why are they in this situation?

02:43 Understanding Haiti's disadvantaged state,

02:46 we must acknowledge the ways in which the nation and its resources have in fact been exploited for many years.

02:55 In the early 1800s, Haiti was forced to pay huge

02:59 reparations to France in exchange for independence, which they had won fairly.

03:05 They have paid to the tune of

03:08 $21 billion to France, a debt that took over a century to pay off.

03:15 Payment for freedom. Can we as Americans imagine paying England for the right to be independent?

03:23 For winning a revolution?

03:25 But France required it, and we the United States forced that payment on Haiti.

03:33 A debt that took over a century to pay, paid to a European superpower that had colonialized and

03:40 enslaved them in

03:42 order to profit from their labor and the resources of the land. Like many European nations, the wealth and ease of living

03:51 enjoyed by the French today were built at the expense of Haiti,

03:56 Haitian people, and many other colonialized areas,

04:01 affecting many generations. The continuous and often gross

04:05 exploitation that organically accompanied colonial rule in places like Haiti,

04:10 along with the results that followed, is something that is often ignored.

04:15 We want to forget that that happened.

04:18 We want to just look at this state that they are in now and not think about what brought them there, how we may have

04:25 led to that exploitation as well.

04:29 It is rarely acknowledged and almost never

04:32 remediated. The nation of Haiti with its past, current, and ongoing dilemmas is a testament to the tragedy of this reality.

04:40 How could a nation

04:43 entrenched in billions of dollars of debt over multiple generations even begin to establish a

04:49 necessary infrastructure and societal structure needed to build a semblance of normalcy and make significant progress

04:57 toward economic growth and prosperity?

04:59 The severity of the situation has far surpassed the usefulness of words.

05:06 We in the United States must assist. We are operating on borrowed time,

05:13 with Russia having already set its sights on expanding its reach from the African continent closer to our shores.

05:21 Intent on capitalizing on Haiti's political

05:25 instability, the Wagner Group has sought to offer the Haitian government

05:29 military strength to combat the gangs. If the United States does not take immediate action, our

05:36 foreign adversaries, not limited to Russia and China, may be

05:41 700 miles from our shores.

05:44 That's how close Haiti is, as you've heard from Congresswoman Yvette Clark, to the United States.

05:52 This continued marginalization has negatively impacted the entire region, and in this case Haiti,

05:59 threatened to derail U.S. security and economic interest in the Western Hemisphere. In the fiscal year

06:06 2023, in our National Defense Authorization Act,

06:10 we have included an amendment that directed the Department of Defense to assess the standing U.S.

06:17 military force posture in the Caribbean, given U.S. national and regional security

06:23 interests, and to thwart our foreign adversaries, Russia and China.

06:28 Those adversaries have set their sight on

06:32 expanding their reach in the region of the Caribbean and Latin America. The continued expansion of Russian and Chinese

06:40 influence threatens our national security, our prosperity, and our democratic values.

06:47 China's economic investments and financial assistance target vulnerable

06:52 countries in the Caribbean and carry collateral conditions, including diplomatic

06:57 expectations. Through their Belt Road Initiatives,

07:01 BRI, China has entrenched its presence by signing agreements with countries such as Antigua and Barbuda,

07:09 Barbados, Cuba,

07:12 Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica,

07:14 Guyana, Dominican Republic, Suriname, Trinidad, Tobago, and

07:18 others. These investments span vast infrastructure projects, including the development of major ports,

07:26 highways, and energy sectors. For example,

07:29 recently the Dominican Republic received a six hundred million dollar loan to expand the country's electric grid,

07:37 along with a three point one billion dollar package of investments.

07:41 Do we not think that China will not use this as leverage? While these projects bolster economic growth and infrastructure

07:48 development, they also raise concerns about the leverage and strategic advancement the investments have.

07:55 What will happen to Haiti?

07:58 Haiti is in a position where they need financial support.

08:02 We in the United States have got to pass the Caribbean Trade Resolution.

08:09 The resolution recognizes the importance of enhanced trade and investment in the Caribbean.

08:14 We're also working on strengthening the existing trade relationships, like the Caribbean Basin Initiative, or

08:21 the Sponsorship of Hope for Haiti Prosperity Act of

08:26 2023, to signal our long-term commitment to Haiti. As a member of the New Democratic Coalition,

08:33 I join my colleagues in calling for renewal and enhancement of

08:37 generalized systems of preference in which numerous Caribbean nations

08:41 participate.

08:43 Strengthening our economic partnership, the support of these nations, is vital not only to their economic growth,

08:51 but to our national security.

08:53 As the United States' third border, the Caribbean economic stagnation

08:59 directly impacts U.S. security and stability. As co-chair of the

09:04 Congressional Caribbean Caucus, I'm acutely aware that the economic and political challenges

09:10 facing our neighbors are complex, and as such, require collaborative and sustained efforts from

09:18 policymakers, industry experts, financial institutions, and civil society.

09:23 We must have U.S. leadership in the region.

09:28 Neighboring nations will continue to look elsewhere for support.

09:32 Venezuela is another country that they're looking to. Our, my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus,

09:39 agree that Haiti is at an inflection point, and we need to act decisively

09:45 by approving the State Department's request for 40 million dollars in funding for the

09:52 multinational security support mission to Haiti. For over six

09:57 months,

09:59 this Congress has held those funds.

10:01 Congressional Republicans have refused to deliver the necessary resources to carry out this mission,

10:08 even as the situation on the ground has deteriorated.

10:12 The instability in Haiti is not only a humanitarian crisis, but a threat to our national security.

10:20 We believe that the multinational security support mission would advance the national security interests,

10:27 not just of Haiti, but of the United States.

10:29 It would demonstrate American leadership in the Caribbean and provide a lifeline to the Haitian people.

10:37 Depending on large part what Congress does or does not do next, the situation could start to improve or,

10:45 by contrast, devolve into chaos and even civil war. If we act decisively,

10:52 Haiti has a fighting chance. If we dither and delay, we are likely to watch as the Haitian National Police

11:00 collapses, violent gangs overrun the country, and

11:04 irregular immigration to the United States and other countries surge.

11:09 We recognize that, of course, there is a right and a

11:14 responsibility to be careful, to scrutinize the funds, to ensure the State Department has explained,

11:21 but we believe that burden of persuasion has been met and that it's time to release the remaining funds.

11:28 We regard American leadership as

11:31 indispensable in this area.

11:34 What is happening in Haiti is a test of American mettle, and we must pass this test.

11:42 Our hands-off and apathetic approach to Haiti is an affront to our values,

11:49 a country which helped us during our

11:52 revolutionary war.

11:54 Haitian men came and fought alongside our

11:58 American soldiers in the American Revolution, and when they sought their own revolution,

12:05 what did we do at the end but require them to pay our ally France?

12:11 Our support of Haiti must be clear. We must support our democratic neighbor to the south.

12:19 I urge my colleagues to support all measures that would advance stability in this nation and

12:27 ensure that the people of Haiti can in fact prosper. Thank you so much,

12:33 Congressman/woman

12:35 Sheriff Ellis McCormick, for the opportunity to speak. I know that this is an issue

12:41 that is very dear to you, not only because of your own familial

12:46 ties to Haiti, but so many of your constituents as well in Florida are crying out for support for their

12:54 family and friends that remain there,

12:57 Americans trying to ensure that their brothers and sisters, their family members, can in fact

13:04 prosper. So I want to thank you for your leadership on this issue.

13:08 I want to thank the Congressional Black Caucus for doing all that they can do, and of course to my sister from

13:15 another mister,

13:17 Yvette Clark of Brooklyn. Thank you for always being there in the fight as well, and I yield back.

13:23 Thank you so much to Congresswoman Stacey Platt.

Stacey Plaskett Discusses Root Causes Of Haiti's Turmoil, Calls For U.S. Help

Category

Transcript

Recommended