Barbara Lee Applauds Obama Administration Pledge of $20 Million toward Remaining Haiti Debt

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) applauded the Obama Administration's pledge of $20 million dollars to cover Haiti's upcoming debt payments to the World Bank and Inter American Development Bank. Earlier this year, Congresswoman Lee with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), and more than 70 other Members of Congress wrote a letter urging the administration to suspend immediately all further debt service payments from Haiti and grant complete debt cancellation to the impoverished country. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the Obama Administration's decision on Tuesday of this week at the Haiti Donors Conference.

"Haiti has experienced tremendous loss of life and destruction of infrastructure following a string of devastating hurricanes and tropical storms," said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. "The decision of the Obama Administration to provide debt relief to Haiti will allow the country to focus its limited resources on improving basic infrastructure, providing basic services like healthcare and education, and strengthening the justice system."

The $20 million pledge should cover all of Haiti's remaining debt payments for 2009. Before the end of this year, Haiti is expected to achieve permanent cancellation of most of its debts by reaching "completion point" in the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program.

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