BROOKLYN, NY – Today, Representative Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement to remember the third anniversary of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which will be observed on Saturday.

“After the 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the island nation, thousands of people died and millions became homeless,” stated Representative Yvette D. Clarke. “Despite the many years that have since passed, the people of Haiti are still struggling to rebuild their infrastructure.

“We have come to the aid of Haitians, most recently with the 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status for eligible nationals. The threat of cholera and dilapidated tent camps has slowed the recovery in Haiti, which celebrated the 209th anniversary of its independence.  

“In the coming weeks of the 113^th Congress, I will re-introduce the Haitian Emergency Life Protection (H.E.L.P.) Act which will allow applicants with family-sponsored petitions that were approved on or before January 12, 2010 to work in the United States and send remittances back home as they wait for their green cards.

“In the 9th Congressional District, I represent the second largest population of Haitian immigrants in the nation. As a co-chair of the Congressional Caribbean Caucus, I am committed to the redevelopment of Haiti and the Caribbean region. This year, I will join my colleagues in calling for true accountability and real investment in the Haitian people. My colleagues in the Caribbean and Black caucuses cannot complete this task alone. I call on my Haitian constituents, Caribbean sisters and brothers to join me in not just rebuilding Haiti, but restoring the island to its former glory as the ‘Pearl of the Antilles.’ We can no longer observe another anniversary with the same incremental change as we have in the past.

The future of the United States relies on the decisions we make today and whether we support other nations who require our assistance,” concluded Representative Clarke.  

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U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke is a member of the House Small Business Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. She represents several neighborhoods in central and southern Brooklyn, NY which includes Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, Ocean Hill, parts of Park Slope and Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.