Overview:
A group of 52 members of the U.S. Congress, including 41 House representatives and 11 senators, signed a letter Tuesday urging Republican leaders of foreign relations committees in the House and Senate to lift the hold on $94 million in security funding requested by the State Department for Haiti.
Fifty-two members of the U.S. Congress sent a letter Tuesday urging the Republican leaders of the foreign relations committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate to lift a hold on $94 million in security funding that the State Department requested for Haiti. The letter was addressed to Congressman Michael T. McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, and James Risch, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations ranking member.
In a press release published on Wednesday, the three members of Congress leading the effort — Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rep. Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI) — along with 39 other House colleagues and 10 Senate colleagues, implored congressional Republicans to understand the gravity of the situation in Haiti.
“The situation in Haiti is dire,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “According to the United Nations, over 2,500 Haitians were killed or injured by gang violence during the first three months of 2024. Nearly 4.4 million people in Haiti are facing famine, and approximately 398,000 people have been forcefully kicked out of their homes by gangs.”
The Democrats recognized that with proper funding, the Multinational Security Support mission (MSS) could be essential in providing stability to Haiti and, by doing so, protecting America’s national security.
The mission aims to mobilize $600 million from UN members to finance the multinational force’s two-year deployment in Haiti. The United States and Canada have pledged over half of that budgeted sum. However, challenges persist for the mission’s deployment due to issues with Kenyan justice and lack of funding, despite several meetings aiming to secure total funds. The U.S., facing demands for more details on the mission’s logistics, duration and objectives from Republican members, has disbursed only $10 million of the total pledged.
“If we act decisively and together, Haiti has a fighting chance to mitigate the chaos plaguing its communities.”
Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett, representative of the U.S. Virgin Islands
They expressed optimism about the Biden-Harris Administration’s strong support for the establishment of the MSS under Kenya’s leadership, which aims to pave the way for Haitian security and self-determination. However, they argued that for over six months, Republicans have held up crucial funding pledged by the United States to support the mission’s deployment and operations in Haiti.
“The situation in Haiti is dire,” they said. “The people of Haiti have faced profound political, security, and humanitarian crises with dignity and determination. While the future of Haiti needs to be determined by Haitians, no nation can surmount a challenge of this scale and scope on its own.”
Democrats in Congress believe the instability in Haiti is not only a humanitarian crisis but also a threat to the United States’ national security.
“We believe the MSS would advance the United States’ national security interests, demonstrate American leadership in the Caribbean, and provide a lifeline to the Haitian people,” they stated in the letter.
During a hearing before the House Foreign Relations Committee on the State Department priorities and budget, Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the same sentiment. He reiterated the urgent need for Congress to support the State Department’s efforts in providing the necessary funding to the MSS. He said the Haitian National Police (PNH) are outgunned and outmanned by malicious gangs in recent months.
“I think this is a vital mission [MSS],” Blinken said. “Vital, precisely because Haiti is on the brink of becoming a failed state.”
The police have tried and stood up more effectively to prevent these gangs from taking over or destroying critical infrastructure, including the international airport in Port-au-Prince, where commercial flights have resumed. But Blinken added that they need more help.
Rep. Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands said, “If we act decisively and together, Haiti has a fighting chance to mitigate the chaos plaguing its communities.”
Congressional Democrats seek to make a difference in Haiti.
In a joint statement with Cherfilus-McCormick and Plaskett, Kaine, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, said Congressional Republicans’ refusal to support the MSS has become a serious obstacle to restoring peace, security and democratic governance.
Democrats want to maximize Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to Washington, D.C., this week and find a path forward on releasing the funds to guarantee the MSS deployment to Haiti. They argue that U.S. funding for the mission would allow the international community to work together and use all available tools to address the Haiti crisis expediently and comprehensively.
Democrats have continued to push on all fronts, trying to rescue Haiti. On May 17, three congresswomen proposed a resolution to the House to establish a 10-year $50 billion sustainable development plan for the country—the Louverture Investment Plan.
