,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #dgd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,february #e1       
#bjad,ms4 ,waters 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,engel1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,new ,jersey1    
,mr4 ,sires1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,ms4 ,bass1   
,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,ms4 ,clarke  
of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1
 ,mr4 ,conyers1 and ,mr4 ,rangel7       
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,foreign ,affairs  ,,resolution         
,honoring the #bajth anniversary of     
,haiti's independence4  ,whereas the    
people of ,haiti celebrated the #bajth  
anniversary of the independence of      
,haiti on ,january #a1 #bjad2 ,whereas  
,haiti declared its independence from   
,france on ,january #a1 #ahjd2 ,whereas 
,haiti achieved its independence as the 
result of a revolt among ,african slaves
 against their ,french colonial masters2
 ,whereas ,haiti is the only country to 
have achieved its independence as the   
result of a successful slave rebellion2 

,whereas ,haiti first received          
diplomatic recognition from the ,united 
,states in #ahfb1 during the ,presidency
 of ,abraham ,lincoln1 who also presided
 over the emancipation of slaves in the 
,united ,states2 ,whereas ,haiti and the
 ,united ,states have each struggled    
throughout their history to achieve     
racial equality2 ,whereas ,haiti has    
struggled throughout its history to     
become a stable democracy with respect  
for human rights and economic           
opportunity for the ,haitian people2    
,whereas many ,haitians have risked     
their lives to oppose dictatorships and 
supported the restoration of democracy  
in ,haiti2 ,whereas many ,united ,states
 citizens have worked hard to advocate  
respect for human rights and support the
 restoration of democracy in ,haiti in  
solidarity with the ,haitian people2    
,whereas the people of ,haiti have      
endured numerous natural disasters and  
continue to be at high risk for         
hurricanes and tropical storms2         

,whereas1 on ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 ,haiti
 was struck by a devastating #g4j       
magnitude earthquake2 ,whereas according
 to the ,government of ,haiti1 more than
 #caf1jjj people died as a result of the
 earthquake2 ,whereas according to the  
,united ,nations and the ,international 
,organization for ,migration1 an        
estimated #c1jjj1jjj people were        
directly affected by the earthquake and 
#a1cjj1jjj people were displaced to     
settlements2 ,whereas the ,united       
,states ,house of ,representatives      
passed ,house ,resolution #ajba on      
,january #ba1 #bjaj1 on a vote of #daa  
to #a1 expressing its 8deepest          
condolences and sympathy for the        
horrific loss of life0 and 8support for 
the recovery and long-term              
reconstruction needs of ,haiti02        
,whereas the ,united ,states ,congress  
passed ,h4,r4 #degc1 the ,haiti ,debt   
,relief and ,earthquake ,recovery ,act  
of #bjaj1 which urged the ,secretary of 
the ,treasury to instruct the ,united   

,states ,executive ,directors at certain
 international financial institutions to
 use the voice1 vote1 and influence of  
the ,united ,states to cancel           
immediately and completely ,haiti's     
debts to such institutions1 and this    
bill was signed into law by ,president  
,barack ,obama on ,april #bf1 #bjaj2    
,whereas according to the ,united       
,states ,agency for ,international      
,development 7,,usaid71 the ,united     
,states disbursed #b4i billion in ,haiti
 for post-earthquake assistance as of   
,september #cj1 #bjac1 including #a4c   
billion for humanitarian relief and #a4e
 billion for recovery1 reconstruction1  
and development2 ,whereas according to  
the ,united ,states ,department of      
,state1 the ,united ,states is ,haiti's 
largest trading partner2 ,whereas       
according to the ,congressional         
,research ,service1 more than #dgj1jjj  
,haitians migrated to the ,united       
,states between #aihj and #bjaa2        
,whereas the people of ,haiti have      

survived slavery1 repression1 and       
natural disasters2 ,whereas the people  
of ,haiti have demonstrated tremendous  
courage throughout their history and    
continue to work to improve their lives 
and create a better future for          
themselves1 their families1 and their   
fellow citizens2 ,whereas the people of 
the ,united ,states stand in solidarity 
with the people of ,haiti in their      
desire for effective democratic         
governance and economic growth and      
development2 and ,whereas the people of 
the ,united ,states and the people of   
,haiti are united by their commitment to
 the values of freedom1 democracy1 human
 rights1 and racial equality3 ,now1     
therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of    
,representatives-- 7#a7 congratulates   
the people of ,haiti upon the #bajth    
anniversary of the independence of      
,haiti2  7#b7 reaffirms the enduring    
friendship between ,haiti and the       
,united ,states2  7#c7 recognizes that  
,haiti and the ,united ,states share a  

common history and a commitment to      
freedom1 democracy1 human rights1 and   
racial equality2 and  7#d7 encourages   
,haiti and the ,united ,states to       
continue to pursue strong bilateral     
relations and mutually beneficial growth
 and development4