LegiStorm

Summary:

Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986, Haiti has struggled to overcome its centuries-long legacy of authoritarianism, extreme poverty, and underdevelopment. While some progress has been made in developing democratic institutions, they remain weak. Economic and social stability have improved considerably. But poverty remains massive and deep, and economic disparity is wide. In May 2006, René Préval began his second five-year term as President of Haiti. During his first two years in office, Préval began to establish internal political stability by attempting to strengthen democratic institutions and creating an environment that would attract private investment and spur job creation. Haiti's fragile stability has been repeatedly shaken, however, if not by political problems, then by climatic ones. In 2008, a worsening food crisis led to violent protests and the removal of Haiti' s Prime Minister. Parliament rejected Préval' s first two choices for a new prime minister, but finally confirmed Michele Pierre-Louis, a highly-regarded educator and economist, as Prime Minister in September 2008. In the summer of 2008, four major storms caused widespread devastation in Haiti. Haiti remains the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Over half the population of 8.2 million people live in extreme poverty. Since Haiti's developmental needs and priorities are many, and deeply intertwined, the Haitian government and the international donor community are implementing an assistance strategy to address these many needs simultaneously. The Préval administration presented a revised strategy at a donors' conference on April 14. Haiti received aid commitments of $353 million. The United States pledged $68 million in new FY2009 assistance, including $20 million in targeted budget support. The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has been in Haiti to help restore order since the collapse of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's government in 2004. MINUSTAH's current strength is 9,089 troops. The main priorities for U.S. policy regarding Haiti are to strengthen fragile democratic processes, continue to improve security, and promote economic development. Other concerns include the cost and effectiveness of U.S. aid; protecting human rights; combating narcotics, arms, and human trafficking; addressing Haitian migration; and alleviating poverty. The FY2009 aid request for Haiti was $246 million. The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-8) provided for an additional $41 million in bilateral economic and international security assistance for Haiti. The FY2010 aid request for Haiti is $293 million. The 111th Congress may consider the balance and scope of assistance to Haiti. Members have already requested that the Obama Administration grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians living in the United States. Of immediate concern to Congress may be ensuring that second round elections scheduled for June 21 for 11 Haitian Senate seats are free, fair, and—in light of recent violent protests—peaceful. Prohibited from running on technicalities, former President Aristide's Lavalas party boycotted the first round vote; turnout nationwide averaged 11%. Congress may take up debt relief for Haiti again. Current law related to Haiti includes P.L. 111-8, P.L. 110-161, P.L. 110-246, and P.L. 109-432. Pending legislation related to Haiti includes H.Con.Res. 17, H.R. 144, H.R. 264, H.R. 331, H.R. 416, H.R. 417, H.R. 1567, S. 730, and S. 1183; for details see sections on Legislation. This report on conditions in Haiti will be updated as necessary. For additional information see CRS Report RL34687, The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act, by J. F. Hornbeck.