Haiti
More on Haiti
By JIM ABRAMS (AP)
Congress is calling for the United States to take the lead in relieving earthquake-shattered Haiti of its estimated $828 million debt to international institutions.
The House approved by voice vote Wednesday and sent to President Barack Obama legislation that instructs U.S. directors at the International Monetary Fund and other global development institutions to use their votes and influence to cancel Haiti's debt.
Debt relief is one of several approaches to helping Haiti recover from the January earthquake that took an estimated 230,000 lives.
by Tanu Henry
For more than two decades now, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) has been a diehard supporter of Haiti.
In the United States Congress, and beyond those halls, she has been one of the few consistent voices speaking out about the problems of Haiti and on behalf of Haitians at home and those living in, or immigrating to, the U.S.
by Cynthia Gordy
Los Angeles Representative Maxine Waters was one of the first members of Congress to visit Haiti in January after a major earthquake ravaged the island nation. As stories have faded from headlines, she has stayed focused on relief. White House correspondent Cynthia Gordy spoke with Waters days before her second mission to Port-au-Prince, about challenges in the recovery, criticism of the official in charge of U.S. aid and her goal to wipe out Haiti's debt.
by Jim Lobe
With U.S. President Barack Obama preparing to host Haitian President Rene Preval at the White House Wednesday, Congress is moving quickly to show support for far-reaching debt relief and additional aid for the earthquake-stricken Caribbean nation.
The Senate Friday approved a resolution urging the U.S. representative at major international lending institutions to push for the cancellation of all of Haiti's outstanding multilateral debt – about 700 million dollars – or about two-thirds of the country's total outstanding debt of some 1.2 billion dollars.
A House panel approved a resolution aimed at easing Haiti's debt burden to help with reconstruction efforts in the wake of the devastating January 12 earthquake.
The House Financial Services Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology approved a measure directing US representatives to the IMF, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and other international organizations to work for Haitian debt relief.
by Ryan Grim
A House subcommittee approved a measure on Thursday to press major international financial institutions to completely cancel all debts owed by Haiti, where a major earthquake devastated what little capacity Haiti had to pay the debts back.
The International Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee approved the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act, introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), which also aims to encourage direct assistance in the form of grants from those institutions, rather than loans.