Representative Hirono Leads HDAC Delegation to Partner Nation Haiti
The House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) sent a delegation of five House members to partner nation Haiti from May 8 to 11, 2009. The trip marked the Commission's fourteenth congressional delegation since its establishment in 2005. Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) led the delegation, which included Reps. David Dreier (R-California), Gwen Moore (D-Wisconsin), Jim McDermott (D-Washington) and Delegate Kilili Sablan (D-Northern Mariana Islands). This visit was the first HDAC Member mission to Haiti since February 2007, when Chairman David Price (D-North Carolina) inaugurated the partnership with the Haitian Parliament.
The delegation met with the President, Prime Minister, and parliamentary leaders during its visit to Haiti. The delegation, accompanied by the Ambassador, reaffirmed U.S. support for efforts to promote Haiti's stability and prosperity, and outlined the HDAC assistance programs. Haitian officials highlighted their efforts to improve the climate for foreign investment and strengthen Haiti's institutions, including Parliament. A lack of infrastructure and expertise has prevented the legislature from playing a more constructive and timely role in reform efforts.
Specifically, the delegation met with the parliamentary leadership of both, the Senate and the Assembly, Senate Vice President Andris Riche and Levaillant Louis-Jeune, and a wide array of political and party leaders representative of various political currents. The Members also toured the L'Union Building, home of the future parliamentary resource center, and held an hour-long meeting with President Rene Preval on May 8. On May 9, the delegation was invited to the residence of the Ambassador to hold conversations with Prime Minister Michele Pierre Louis and held a separate meeting with women legislators represented by Senator Edmonde Supplice Beauzile and Deputy Marie Jossie Etienne.
In addition, site visits were conducted to several projects funded by the U.S. government, including the Foundation for the Development of the Haitian Family (FONDEFH), a private organization that receives U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funding for community health clinics; the Partners in Health Lacolline Hospital completed in 2008, and over 60-bed facility that sees approximately 300 patients per day; a USAID project that supports the construction of irrigation canals to strengthen the agricultural sector in Haiti; and an apparel plant that is currently benefiting from the passage of HOPE II legislation.
In a May 11 conference sponsored by HDAC and coordinated by the Governing Justly Section of USAID Haiti and the State University of New York, the implementer of the parliamentary support program, Senate President Kely Bastien and Chamber President Louis-Jeune welcomed the delegation's interest in strengthening Haiti's legislature and provided an overview of the progress the Parliament has achieved to date on key legislation and internal reforms. Delegation members exchanged views with the Haitian Parliament Members and staff on the importance of timely, nonpartisan research as well as the importance of the role of rules of legislative procedure.