Congressman Kendrick Meek Visits Haiti with U.S. Senator Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)

 

Miami, FL – Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) joined Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) as part of a Congressional delegation trip to examine global health and water projects in Haiti. 

The delegation visited Port-au-Prince, Mirebalais, and other parts of the country including textile factories that have re-opened since Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel and Congressman Meek worked to help pass the Haiti Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE II) which provides certain Haitian textiles with duty free status when entering the United States. 

“I last traveled to Haiti in September after the four devastating hurricanes struck the island nation, and while hurricane season has passed, Haiti is still in a critical state.  The health and water projects we examined during this trip are critical to Haiti’s redevelopment.  Haiti continues to look to the United States for leadership and we as congressional leaders will be working closely with President-elect Obama to ensure that Haiti can continue to rebuild,” said Congressman Meek.  “The legislative process requires that on any issue, champions must emerge from the House and Senate to help guide legislation through the U.S. Congress, and Haiti now has many champions in both chambers on Capitol Hill.  My congressional colleagues, Senate Majority Whip Durbin and Chairman Bingaman, and I will take back Haiti’s message of hope and need to our fellow colleagues and to President Obama himself.”

Roughly one in 50 Haitians has HIV/AIDS and according to the UN Programme on HIV/AIDS, more than 7,000 people die each year from the disease.  Half of rural Haitian households have access to safe drinking water and only 1 in 5 families have access to adequate sanitation. 

Congressman Meek has traveled to Haiti 13 times since his election to Congress in 2002.  He was last in Haiti in September 2008 leading a Congressional Delegation trip to the island nation with U.S. Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Donna Edwards (D-MD) following the four deadly hurricanes that struck Haiti this past hurricane season. 

Senator Durbin is the Majority Whip, the Senate’s second highest ranking position, and was an early supporter and mentor for President-elect Barack Obama.  Durbin and Meek last traveled to Haiti together in 2003, during Congressman Meek’s first term in Congress.  Senator Bingaman is a five-term U.S. Senator who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek represents the 17^th Congressional District of Florida which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He serves as the lone Floridian sitting on the House Committee on Ways and Means, and also sits on the House Armed Services Committee.

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