IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1241 

Calling for the establishment of a comprehensive, long-term development 

program to rebuild the Republic of Haiti. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 17, 2024 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, and Ms. 

CLARKE of New York) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Calling for the establishment of a comprehensive, long-term 

development program to rebuild the Republic of Haiti. 

Whereas Haiti’s revolution was the first successful slave revolt in the Americas and led to the establishment of Haiti 

as the first independent Black empire under the Emperor 

Jean-Jacques Dessalines in 1804, then, in 1806, the first 

independent Black republic in the Western Hemisphere 

in 1804; 

Whereas, prior to the Haitian Revolution, the United States 

was Haiti’s second-largest trade partner; 

Whereas Haiti has played a pivotal role in African struggles 

toward freedom in America, the Caribbean, and African 

countries; 


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•HRES 1241 IH 

Whereas Haitian American leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois, cofounder of the National Association for the Advancement 

of Colored People, have contributed to the civil rights 

movement both in the United States and Africa; 

Whereas, in 1825, Haiti was forced to pay a ‘‘ransom’’ to 

France for its independence, amounting to at least 

$21,000,000,000 in current value; 

Whereas the United States only recognized the newly independent nation of Haiti until 1862, and then militarily 

occupied the country from 1915 to 1934; 

Whereas Haiti has endured a long and troubled history 

marred by political instability, economic underdevelopment, natural disasters, and external interference; 

Whereas, despite this proud heritage, Haiti has struggled to 

consolidate democratic governance, with multiple coups, 

foreign interventions, and lapses in the rule of law undermining the country’s development; 

Whereas, in 2010, a devastating earthquake killed hundreds 

of thousands and displaced more than a million Haitians, 

prompting countries from across the world to pledge 

more than $10,000,000,000 for relief and reconstruction 

efforts; 

Whereas the assassination of President Jovenel Moı ̈se in July 

2021 exacerbated the ongoing political crisis, leaving the 

country without an elected government to date; 

Whereas the power vacuum created by the lack of stable, 

democratic governance and the absence of a social contract has enabled criminal armed groups to seize control 

over large swaths of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas, perpetrating heinous acts of violence inVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:31 May 17, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1241.IH HR1241

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•HRES 1241 IH 

cluding kidnappings, murders, rapes, and blocking the 

delivery of vital humanitarian aid; 

Whereas, according to United Nations estimates, there are 

approximately 200 active criminal armed groups operating in Haiti, many of whom have longstanding connections with the political and economic elite; 

Whereas this unprecedented violence has displaced over 

500,000 civilians, created a severe humanitarian crisis, 

and crippled the country’s already fragile economy and 

public services; 

Whereas, according to the United Nations Integrated Office 

in Haiti (BINUH), since the beginning of the year, there 

have been more than 2,500 deaths and injuries related to 

gang violence, a 53-percent increase from October 

through December 2023; 

Whereas a 2023 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 

report found that most illegal firearms seized in Haiti 

came from the United States, notably Florida, Arizona, 

Georgia, Texas, and California; 

Whereas, in 2024 alone, kidnappings have risen to at least 

504 victims, 294 of these being women, 11 girls, and 9 

boys, in addition to the 3,000+ persons reportedly kidnapped in 2023; 

Whereas the United Nations, and other experts, report that 

the raping of women and girls is routine, and these 

groups of individuals disproportionately suffer from the 

crisis in their country, and at least 64 women and girls 

suffered from sexual violence; 

Whereas gangs are using sexual violence to create fear, obtain money, gain power, and punish local communities, 


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•HRES 1241 IH 

and this violence includes trafficking, sexual exploitation, 

and sexual slavery; 

Whereas, according to the United Nations Populations Fund, 

at least 380,000 people have been internally displaced, 

including more than 180,000 children who are facing severe malnutrition; 

Whereas approximately 5,000,000 Haitians, including 1 out 

of 2 children, are facing acute levels of food insecurity; 

Whereas, according to the United Nations, 30 to 50 percent 

of armed groups have minors in their ranks; 

Whereas the complete breakdown of law, order, and functional governance in Port-au-Prince now poses a direct 

threat to regional security and stability in the Caribbean; 

Whereas the Haitian people have shown remarkable resilience 

in the face of these compounding crises; 

Whereas the United States has longstanding historical, economic, and cultural ties to Haiti, with millions of Americans tracing their heritage to the country, and has a 

vested interest in Haiti’s stability and development; 

Whereas the restoration of democratic governance through 

free and fair elections is an essential condition for reestablishing lasting security, economic development, and 

the national interests of Haiti and the United States; 

Whereas, in April 2024, the Caribbean Community 

(CARICOM), with the backing of the United States and 

the international community, supported the establishment 

of a Transitional Presidential Council in Haiti with broad 

political representation and the objective of restoring security and holding free and fair elections; 


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•HRES 1241 IH 

Whereas Haitian Americans have contributed to the cultural 

diversity of the United States through their vibrant traditions, music, dance, cuisine, and literature, and Haitian 

art, literature, and music have influenced United States 

culture, and events such as Haitian Carnival celebrations 

have become popular in some United States cities; 

Whereas, according to the World Bank, remittances to Haiti 

totaled over $3,000,000,000 in 2020, accounting for approximately one-fifth of the country’s gross domestic 

product, and these remittances play a crucial role in Haiti’s economy, providing a steady source of income for 

many families and contributing to poverty reduction and 

household consumption; and 

Whereas Haitian Americans play a vital role in Haiti’s development efforts, leveraging their resources, expertise, and 

networks to support education, technology, sustainable 

development, resilience, and prosperity in their homeland: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) marks 220 years of Haitian independence; 

3 (2) recognizes that Haiti has contributed sig4 nificantly to the abolition of slavery and the struggle 

5 for human rights in Latin America and in the 

6 United States; 

7 (3) recognizes that Haitian culture, religion, 

8 art, and literature contributes significantly to United 

9 States cultural diversity; 


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•HRES 1241 IH 

1 (4) recognizes the Haitian diaspora’s contribu2 tion to the economy of Haiti and the critical role it 

3 plays in the future; 

4 (5) acknowledges that the United States and 

5 international community have played a large role in 

6 Haiti’s instability; 

7 (6) acknowledges the need to improve United 

8 States financial assistance to Haiti by reforming the 

9 foreign aid system and ensuring foreign assistance is 

10 being distributed to Haitian-led communities; 

11 (7) recognizes the United States and the inter12 national community’s moral obligation to support 

13 Haiti’s struggle for democracy; 

14 (8) recognizes that Haitian democracy, sta15 bility, and economic prosperity is important to the 

16 region and to United States strategic interest; 

17 (9) recognizes that the restoration of demo18 cratic governance through free and fair elections is 

19 an essential condition for reestablishing lasting secu20 rity, economic development, and the national inter21 ests of Haiti and the United States; and 

22 (10) expresses the sense that Congress should 

23 establish the Louverture Investment Plan, a 10-year, 

24 $50,000,000,000 development program to rebuild 

25 Haiti to stabilize the country, strengthen democratic 


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•HRES 1241 IH 

1 and judiciary institutions, invest in critical infra2 structure, spur economic growth, and improve oppor3 tunities for women and youth to secure the welfare 

4 of the Haitian people, which should be designed and 

5 implemented in consultation with all stakeholders in6 cluding the Haitian diaspora, and include, but not 

7 be limited to, the following components: 

8 (A) Supporting the restoration of demo9 cratic governance through free and fair elec10 tions, strengthening the rule of law, and build11 ing the capacity of Haiti’s security forces in12 cluding a disarmament, demobilization, and re13 integration program for youth formerly enrolled 

14 into gangs. 

15 (B) Investing in the reconstruction and 

16 modernization of Haiti’s physical infrastructure, 

17 including health care, roads, bridges, ports, 

18 power grids, and water and sanitation systems. 

19 (C) Promoting sustainable economic devel20 opment through agricultural modernization and 

21 food security. 

22 (D) Supporting small businesses and en23 trepreneurs, especially small- and medium-sized 

24 entrepreneurs, women, and youth. 


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•HRES 1241 IH 

1 (E) Improving access to quality health 

2 care, education, and social services to address 

3 Haiti’s acute humanitarian needs. 

4 (F) Enhancing Haiti’s resilience to natural 

5 disasters through improved disaster planning, 

6 environmental conservation, and climate change 

7 adaptation measures. 

8 (G) Encouraging regional integration and 

9 greater economic cooperation between Haiti, the 

10 United States, and other Caribbean countries. 

Æ 


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