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 Massachu-
setts) 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 pro-
tected status for Haitian nationals should be extended 
until that country has demonstrably recovered from the 
2010 earthquake, the cholera epidemic, Hurricane Mat-
thew, and other disasters. 
Whereas the Republic of Haiti experienced a devastating 
earthquake on January 12, 2010, which claimed an esti-
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mated 300,000 lives, displaced more than 1,500,000 peo-
ple, and caused nearly $14,000,000,000 in damage, near-
ly twice the country’s $7,000,000,000 gross domestic 
product (GDP); 
Whereas former President Barack Obama extended his deep-
est condolences to the people of Haiti and pledged un-
wavering 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 unprece-
dented 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 wide-
spread protests and litigation, compelled the United Na-
tions 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 re-
covery 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 earth-
quake, causing damage estimated at one third of the na-
tion’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 assist-
ance; 
Whereas according to the World Bank, Haiti’s economic 
growth has contracted to less than one percent, the un-
employment rate remains above 40 percent, and the over-
whelming 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 Immi-
gration Services, in coordination with other United States 
agencies, conducted on-the-ground assessments and re-
affirmed the persistence of the conditions which prompt-
ed Haiti’s TPS designation; 
Whereas these conditions include acute housing and food 
shortages, debilitating economic conditions, political in-
stability, susceptibility to environmental disasters, dis-
proportionate security risks faced by women and children, 
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gutted 
infrastructure, 
and 
inadequate 
access 
to 
healthcare; 
Whereas the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti es-
timates 
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 rel-
atives; 
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 de-
portation, could cost the United States $2,700,000,000 
in GDP and $428,000,000 in Social Security and Medi-
care 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 deep-
ly woven into our communities; 
Whereas Haitian TPS holders’ contributions include raising 
United States-born children and Haitian-American fami-
lies, creating jobs as entrepreneurs, making significant 
contributions to Social Security, Medicare, and other pro-
grams as taxpayers, improving our workforce and global 
competitiveness through their pursuit of higher edu-
cation, 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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•HCON 87 IH 
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 disas-
ters 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 Sta-
tus for Haiti would reaffirm a core American value: com-
passion: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that— 
(1) the people of the United States stand in sol-
idarity with the people of Haiti and support efforts 
to help Haiti recover and develop into a prosperous 
democracy; 
(2) Haiti has not demonstrably recovered from 
the natural and manmade disasters, which prompted 
the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate 
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Haiti as a temporary protected status (TPS) coun-
try; 
(3) the Secretary of Homeland Security should 
extend Haiti’s TPS designation, which is scheduled 
to expire on January 22, 2018, by 18 months, and 
should strongly consider economic, political, and en-
vironmental conditions, closely examine the imple-
mentation of anti-cholera efforts, and thoroughly as-
sess the contributions of Haitian TPS holders to 
Haiti and the United States in making extension de-
terminations; 
(4) the Secretary of State should urge the 
United Nations, in close consultation with cholera 
victims and stakeholders, expeditiously to fulfill its 
pledge to treat and eliminate cholera, improve long- 
term access to clean water and sanitation, and pro-
vide material assistance to victims; and 
(5) a democratic, equitably prosperous, and 
democratic Haiti will be better positioned to provide 
opportunities for its citizens, address crises, meet its 
obligations, and advance interests and values shared 
by the United States and Haiti. 
Æ 
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