“Haitian-Americans in my district and across the country have both the skills and the desire to make a positive difference in their former country. We in Congress should do all we can to encourage this spirit of generosity,” Ros-Lehtinen said.
The representative is the only Republican on a congressional delegation to the Haiti Reconstruction Conference in Miami, FL. She is also slated to become the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the new Congress in January.
The bill is H.R. 417, the "Next Steps for Haiti" Act, which was introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) in January 2009. It would send Haitian-born Americans with technical expertise to Haiti to work with the Haitian government and civil society groups on development projects. The volunteers would be eligible for stipends and student loan forgiveness in return.
The congressmen announced their decision after consultation with the conference representative from the Haitian Diaspora, Feker Tadesse. The Diaspora delegate delivered a statement thanking the congressmen for their support.
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| Haitian Diaspora delegate Feker Tadesse at the opening plenary. She thanked the congressmen for their support of the "Next Steps for Haiti" Act. |
“Members of the Diaspora are delighted that the initiative is gaining ground and hope that the program will be rolled out in a timely manner so that a technically and culturally competent Diaspora is put to best use in the reconstruction of the country,” she said.
In an interview with Fox News, Rep. Lehtinen said she was committed to "trimming the fat" off of foreign assistance and recognized that excessive largess was difficult in times of runaway spending and a poor economy.
In a statement announcing the endorsement, she made it clear that she has "some concerns with how the program would be funded".
"She and her colleagues are committed to reaching an agreement and pushing the bill towards final passage next Congress," according to the statement.
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