IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 87 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that temporary protected status for 

Haitian nationals should be extended until that country has demonstrably 

recovered from the 2010 earthquake, the cholera epidemic, Hurricane 

Matthew, and other disasters. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 25, 2017 

Ms. WILSON of Florida (for herself, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. ELLISON, 

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. RUSH, Ms. LEE, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. 

LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. 

HASTINGS, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. CLAY, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. VEASEY, 

Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. EVANS, Mr. 

THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Ms. 

FUDGE, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. MOORE, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, 

Mr. RICHMOND, Ms. BASS, Mrs. BEATTY, and Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee 

on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that temporary protected status for Haitian nationals should be extended 

until that country has demonstrably recovered from the 

2010 earthquake, the cholera epidemic, Hurricane Matthew, and other disasters. 

Whereas the Republic of Haiti experienced a devastating 

earthquake on January 12, 2010, which claimed an estiVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:53 Oct 26, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC87.IH HC87

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•HCON 87 IH 

mated 300,000 lives, displaced more than 1,500,000 people, and caused nearly $14,000,000,000 in damage, nearly twice the country’s $7,000,000,000 gross domestic 

product (GDP); 

Whereas former President Barack Obama extended his deepest condolences to the people of Haiti and pledged unwavering United States support; 

Whereas 3 days after Haiti faced one of the worst disasters 

in its history, then-Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano designated Haiti for 

temporary protected status (TPS), providing refuge for 

some 46,000 Haitian nationals who would be endangered 

by returning to Haiti; 

Whereas in October 2010, just months after an unprecedented natural disaster, United Nations peacekeepers 

from Nepal, who were infected by cholera and engaged in 

unsanitary practices, caused a man-made disaster in the 

form of a cholera outbreak; 

Whereas the United Nations abdicated responsibility for the 

cholera outbreak and invoked absolute immunity for more 

than half a decade; 

Whereas to date, the United Nations-caused cholera epidemic 

in Haiti has killed nearly 10,000 people and infected 

nearly 1,000,000 people; 

Whereas a half-a-decade long, multinational campaign led by 

cholera victims and their families, which included widespread protests and litigation, compelled the United Nations to finally admit its role in the cholera epidemic, 

issue an apology, and announce a two-part, $400,000,000 

plan to address cholera and assist victims; 


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•HCON 87 IH 

Whereas the United Nations had managed to raise only 

$2,670,000 of its $400,000,000 pledge to spur Haiti’s recovery from the cholera epidemic and provide redress to 

victims through May 2017; 

Whereas in stark contrast to former Secretary General Ban 

Ki-moon’s promise of a victim-centered response to the 

cholera epidemic, the United Nations has not effectively 

engaged cholera victims in the remedial process according 

to numerous reports; 

Whereas Haiti’s challenges were exacerbated on October 4, 

2016, after category four Hurricane Matthew left a trail 

of damage and destruction not seen since the 2010 earthquake, causing damage estimated at one third of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), $2,700,000,000, 

causing hundreds of deaths, and leaving an additional 

1,400,000 people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance; 

Whereas according to the World Bank, Haiti’s economic 

growth has contracted to less than one percent, the unemployment rate remains above 40 percent, and the overwhelming majority of Haitians, 60 percent, continue to 

live well below the national poverty line of $2.42 per day; 

Whereas in 2016, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, in coordination with other United States 

agencies, conducted on-the-ground assessments and reaffirmed the persistence of the conditions which prompted Haiti’s TPS designation; 

Whereas these conditions include acute housing and food 

shortages, debilitating economic conditions, political instability, susceptibility to environmental disasters, disproportionate security risks faced by women and children, 


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•HCON 87 IH 

gutted infrastructure, and inadequate access to 

healthcare; 

Whereas the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti estimates that Haitian TPS holders contribute 

$1,300,000,000 to Haiti’s economy through remittances, 

about 15 percent of GDP, and support up to 500,000 relatives; 

Whereas the Immigrant Legal Resource Center estimate that 

termination of the TPS for Haiti, which would deprive 

Haitian nationals of employment authorization, threaten 

the viability of their businesses, and subject them to deportation, could cost the United States $2,700,000,000 

in GDP and $428,000,000 in Social Security and Medicare contributions over 10 years; 

Whereas just as their ancestors valiantly fought alongside our 

troops and contributed to our victory in the American 

Revolutionary War, Haitian TPS holders contribute to 

every aspect of society in the United States and are deeply woven into our communities; 

Whereas Haitian TPS holders’ contributions include raising 

United States-born children and Haitian-American families, creating jobs as entrepreneurs, making significant 

contributions to Social Security, Medicare, and other programs as taxpayers, improving our workforce and global 

competitiveness through their pursuit of higher education, and supporting vulnerable Americans; 

Whereas President Donald Trump has commended Haitians 

for their contributions to American society, acknowledged 

Haiti’s lingering challenges, and committed to being the 

‘‘greatest champion’’ for Haitians; 


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Whereas following a long advocacy campaign supported by 

more than 100 Members of Congress from both sides of 

the aisle, governors, State and local legislators, activists, 

and various other leaders, the Department of Homeland 

Security extended Haiti’s temporary protected status 

through January 22, 2018; 

Whereas the short-term extension and ensuing statements 

have triggered widespread uncertainty and panic among 

Haitian TPS holders; 

Whereas extending Haiti’s temporary protected status for 18 

months would dispel this uncertainty, enable beneficiaries 

to continue making valuable contributions to Haiti and 

the United States, hasten Haiti’s recovery from the disasters that prompted the TPS designation, provide United 

States agencies adequate time to conduct on-the-ground 

assessments; and 

Whereas an 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti would reaffirm a core American value: compassion: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that— 

3 (1) the people of the United States stand in sol4 idarity with the people of Haiti and support efforts 

5 to help Haiti recover and develop into a prosperous 

6 democracy; 

7 (2) Haiti has not demonstrably recovered from 

8 the natural and manmade disasters, which prompted 

9 the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate 


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•HCON 87 IH 

1 Haiti as a temporary protected status (TPS) coun2 try; 

3 (3) the Secretary of Homeland Security should 

4 extend Haiti’s TPS designation, which is scheduled 

5 to expire on January 22, 2018, by 18 months, and 

6 should strongly consider economic, political, and en7 vironmental conditions, closely examine the imple8 mentation of anti-cholera efforts, and thoroughly as9 sess the contributions of Haitian TPS holders to 

10 Haiti and the United States in making extension de11 terminations; 

12 (4) the Secretary of State should urge the 

13 United Nations, in close consultation with cholera 

14 victims and stakeholders, expeditiously to fulfill its 

15 pledge to treat and eliminate cholera, improve long16 term access to clean water and sanitation, and pro17 vide material assistance to victims; and 

18 (5) a democratic, equitably prosperous, and 

19 democratic Haiti will be better positioned to provide 

20 opportunities for its citizens, address crises, meet its 

21 obligations, and advance interests and values shared 

22 by the United States and Haiti. 

Æ 


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