Disaster recovery

03/05/2010 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-IN) issued the following statements announcing the Senate’s passage of a resolution (S.Res.414) calling for the recovery, rehabilitation, and rebuilding of Haiti following the humanitarian crisis caused by the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.    » read more »

March 5, 2010 -- The Haiti Recovery Act, legislation introduced by Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Dick Lugar (R-IN), today passed the Senate by unanimous consent. The legislation would encourage the elimination of Haiti’s remaining debt to international financial institutions, currently totaling over $1 billion, and instruct these institutions to offer grants rather than loan assistance to Haiti, in order to end the debt-relief cycle.    » read more »

Senator Reminds Montanans of March 1st Deadline

February 23, 2010 -- (Washington D.C.) Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus today reminded Montanans that this is the last week to qualify for 2009 Haitian donation tax deductions.

Baucus is chairman of Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, and authored the Haiti Assistance Income Tax Incentive, or HAITI Act, which became law late last month.

The law means Americans who donate money before March 1, 2010 can write off their charitable donations for Haiti relief on their 2009 tax returns, instead of waiting until next year.    » read more »

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Jan. 28 -- The Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, is teaming up with American Airlines and its regional carrier, American Eagle, to fund the delivery of much-needed supplies to earthquake victims in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

As a result of this partnership, the Sandals Foundation will underwrite the cost of 10 Humanitarian Relief Flights from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Haiti. American will coordinate the relief supplies for these flights. The missions will commence on Tuesday, Feb. 2, and will continue three times per week through Tuesday, Feb. 23.    » read more »

January 26, 2010 -- "Mr. Speaker,

It has now been two weeks since a 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti on the afternoon of January 12th.

Over these past 14 days, we have seen pictures of the devastation of Port-au-Prince and surrounding communities. Estimates of the number of dead continue to rise; and the injured in the capital alone is already in the tens of thousands, many needing sophisticated medical care.

People live in the streets and open spaces, fearful of the daily aftershocks.

The very basics of life – water, food and shelter – are absent or in short supply.    » read more »

Jan. 24, 2010 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter welcomed 32 Haitian orphans to Colorado today, capping a 10-day effort to reunite children from earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince with their adoptive families here in Colorado.

"Thanks to the patience, perseverance and determination of many people and organizations, today we were able to bring all of these children together with their new families," Gov. Ritter said at Denver International Airport. "While getting these kids to Colorado was a major milestone, there are still more Haitian children waiting to come to Colorado, and many more Colorado families living on pins and needles waiting for them to arrive. We are going to keep up the pressure until all of these children are together with their new families."    » read more »

January 21, 2010 -- On January 12, a massive earthquake struck the nation of Haiti, causing catastrophic damage inside and around the capital city of Port-au-Prince. President Obama has said, “at this moment, we are moving forward with one of the largest relief efforts in our history -- to save lives and to deliver relief that averts an even larger catastrophe.

In these difficult hours, America stands united. We stand united with the people of Haiti, who have shown such incredible resilience, and we will help them to recover and to rebuild.”    » read more »

Jan. 21, 2010 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Conyers (D-MI), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, issued the following statement:

“I want to applaud the Administration’s quick and robust response to the earthquake in Haiti including directing relevant agencies – including Defense, State, and USAID – to make Haiti their highest priority. I also applaud the naming of the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Dr. Rajiv Shah, as the government's unified disaster coordinator. In addition, the global support for our fellow brethren has been monumental and historic.    » read more »

January 20, 2010 -- Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement after voting in support of H.R. 4462. This bipartisan legislation will allow individuals to claim any donations to the relief effort as an itemized deduction on their 2009 tax return, instead of waiting to claim it on their 2010 return.

“Over the last week, the American people have been pouring out their hearts to the nation of Haiti. It is clear to me that our nation’s compassion, during times of crisis, is one of the things that makes the U.S. so great.” stated Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. "All donations, large and small, are helping to provide crucial necessities for this relief effort.”    » read more »

Bill Allows Individuals to Claim Charitable Contributions on 2009 Tax Returns

January 20, 2010 -- Washington, DC – Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) today joined a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives to support legislation that will encourage more charitable contributions to Haiti, by changing current law to speed up tax deductions. Congressman Baca served as an original co-sponsor of the bill, H.R. 4462, which was unanimously approved by the House today.    » read more »

Bill would allow individuals to claim charitable contributions to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti on their 2009 tax return

20 January 2010 -- Washington, DC -- Congressman John Adler voted today to pass bipartisan legislation to allow individuals making a charitable contribution to victims of the earthquake in Haiti to claim these donations on their 2009 tax return. Congressman Adler is also a co-sponsor of this bill.

"Despite the tough economic times facing our nation, Americans across the country have generously donated time, money, and energy to relief efforts in Haiti," Congressman Adler said. "This measure provides an immediate tax relief for those who have already given and incentive for those who are considering a charitable contribution."    » read more »

Senator: Injured Haitian kids facing death can now be brought to U.S. for medical treatment

January 21, 2010 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. officials said today an estimated 200 Haitian children can now be granted quick passage to come to the U.S. for life-saving medical procedures, according to Senator Bill Nelson.

Those children currently are in Haiti with treatable injuries, but likely would die because of a lack of equipment or supplies or absent advanced or specialized care here in the U.S.    » read more »

Senate Floor

January 22, 2010 -- MR. LEAHY. Mr. President, the widespread devastation and loss of life in Haiti caused by last Tuesday’s earthquake is a tragedy on a scale that words alone cannot adequately describe. The hemisphere’s poorest country, with a history of repeated calamities – some caused by natural disasters, some by corrupt, abusive governments – is facing an humanitarian emergency and reconstruction needs of daunting proportions.

Three million people affected, hundreds of thousands left homeless, an estimated 100,000 and perhaps twice that many lives lost, and countless children orphaned. The Haitian Government, already of limited capacity, has been severely damaged, and the UN mission in Haiti suffered catastrophic losses.    » read more »

01/22/2010 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to last week’s catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-IN) issued the following statement announcing the Senate’s passage of a resolution that recognizes the humanitarian crisis and urges a sustained commitment to the rebuilding of the country:    » read more »

January 21, 2010 -- Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) today announced plans to introduce legislation shortly to speed recovery in Haiti after last week’s devastating earthquake. The International Red Cross estimates that the earthquake affected up to three million individuals in Haiti.    » read more »