IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 88 

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 27, 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, that claimed an estiVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:16 Oct 28, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC88.IH HC88

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mated 300,000 lives, displaced more than 1,500,000 people, and caused approximately $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 three 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 this 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 has killed nearly 10,000 people and infected nearly 

1,000,000 people in Haiti; 

Whereas a 5-year long, multinational campaign led by cholera 

victims and their families, that 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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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 4 Hurricane Matthew left a trail of 

damage and destruction of a level not seen since the 

2010 earthquake, causing damage estimated at one-third 

of the nation’s 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 88 IH 

gutted infrastructure, and inadequate access to health 

care; 

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 estimates 

that termination of TPS for Haiti, which would deprive 

Haitian nationals of employment authorization, threaten 

the viability of their businesses, and require the United 

States to expend nearly $500,000,000 to deport Haitian 

nationals, would cost the United States more than 

$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 remove 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 man-made disasters, which prompt9 ed the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate 


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•HCON 88 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 and equitably prosperous Haiti 

19 will be better positioned to provide opportunities for 

20 its citizens, address crises, meet its obligations, and 

21 advance interests and values shared by the United 

22 States and Haiti. 

Æ 


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