HAITI ECONOMIC LIFT PROGRAM EXTENSION ACT

On 2026-01-12, Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI-4) delivered a floor speech titled "HAITI ECONOMIC LIFT PROGRAM EXTENSION ACT" in the House. The speech addressed immigration and also covered the economy, taxes. It referenced legislation: HR6504.

HAITI ECONOMIC LIFT PROGRAM EXTENSION ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 8 (Monday, January 12, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 8 (Monday, January 12, 2026)] [House] [Pages H642-H645] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HAITI ECONOMIC LIFT PROGRAM EXTENSION ACT Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6504) to extend duty-free treatment provided with respect to imports from Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 6504 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act''. SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF SPECIAL RULES FOR HAITI UNDER CARIBBEAN BASIN ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT. Section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703a) is amended-- (1) in subsection (b)-- (A) in paragraph (1)-- (i) by amending subparagraph (B)(v)(I) to read as follows: ``(I) Applicable percentage.--The term `applicable percentage' means 60 percent or more on and after December 20, 2017.''; and (ii) by amending subparagraph (C) to read as follows: ``(C) Quantitative limitations.--The preferential treatment described in subparagraph (A) shall be extended, during each period after the initial applicable 1-year period, to not more than 1.25 percent of the aggregate square meter equivalents of all apparel articles imported into the United States in the most recent 12-month period for which data are available.''; and (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``in each of the 16 succeeding 1-year periods'' each place it appears and inserting ``in any of the succeeding 1-year periods''; and (2) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows: ``(h) Termination.--The duty-free treatment provided under this section shall remain in effect until December 31, 2028.''. SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN ARTICLES FOR PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT. (a) In General.--The President shall proclaim such modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States as may be necessary to restore the eligibility of articles described in subsection (b) for preferential treatment under section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703a). (b) Articles Described.--An article described in this subsection is an article that-- (1) was eligible for preferential treatment under section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703a) on December 20, 2006; and (2) became ineligible for such treatment after that date and before the date of the enactment of this Act as a result of revisions to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. (c) Effective Date of Proclamation.--A proclamation under subsection (a) shall take effect not earlier than 2 business days after the President submits to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives a report on the proclamation and the reasons for the modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule under the proclamation. SEC. 4. RETROACTIVE APPLICATION. (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 514 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1514) or any other provision of law, and subject to paragraph (2), any entry of a covered article to which duty-free treatment or other preferential treatment under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) would have applied if the entry had been made before September 30, 2025, that was made-- (1) on or after September 30, 2025, and (2) before the date of the enactment of this Act, shall be liquidated or reliquidated as though such entry occurred on the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Requests.--A liquidation or reliquidation may be made under paragraph (1) with respect to an entry only if a request therefor is filed with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act that contains sufficient information to enable such Commissioner-- (1) to locate the entry; or (2) to reconstruct the entry if it cannot be located. (c) Payment of Amounts Owed.--Any amounts owed by the United States pursuant to the liquidation or reliquidation of an entry of a covered article under paragraph (1) shall be paid, without interest of any kind, not later than 90 days after the date of the liquidation or reliquidation (as the case may be). (d) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Covered article.--The term ``covered article'' means an article from Haiti. (2) Entry.--The term ``entry'' includes a withdrawal from warehouse for consumption. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Ms. Plaskett) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri. General Leave Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri? There was no objection. Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6504, the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act, introduced by my colleague, Representative Murphy. This legislation extends the HOPE and HELP trade preference programs which provide trade preferences for certain apparel and textile imports from Haiti. Haiti has endured years of profound hardship, political instability, economic collapse, and repeated natural disasters. As our bill author, Dr. Murphy, shares from his time serving as a medical missionary in Haiti, these trade programs represent an economic lifeline that supports tens of thousands of jobs and sustain one of the last remaining formal industries in the country. Failing to extend these programs would further destabilize an already fragile situation, worsening humanitarian conditions. Strengthening economic opportunity in Haiti promotes regional stability, pushes back on malign actors trying to gain influence with our neighbors, and advances U.S. interests. Prosperity in our hemisphere enhances security right here at home. Renewing HOPE and HELP supports nearshoring and more resilient supply chains, benefiting American workers and businesses, while reducing reliance on distant and unreliable sources. I commend Dr. Murphy for his leadership on this issue. Through his numerous trips to Haiti, he has seen firsthand the human consequences of economic collapse. He also understands the value these programs provide to American businesses, including those in North Carolina that have built reliable partnerships in Haiti. Last month, the Ways and Means Committee passed this bill unanimously, 41-0, a strong bipartisan signal that these programs work. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1740 Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 6504, the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act. For over 15 years, Haiti HOPE/HELP programs have supported both U.S. and Haitian textile industries by granting Haiti duty-free access for apparel and textile products. Building strong business ties between two neighboring nations, this bill, the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act, reauthorizes the HOPE/HELP trade preference program for an additional 3 years, through December 2028. [[Page H643]] The bill also restores eligibility for certain textiles that were initially eligible for duty-free treatment but became ineligible due to changes in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. I thank Ranking Member Neal, Chairman Smith, and Dr. Murphy, and I especially thank my longtime friend and fellow Georgetown University alumnus, Haiti's Ambassador to the United States, Lionel Delatour, for their leadership in keeping the light of Haiti HOPE/HELP alive here in the House of Representatives. Many American manufacturers, as well as Haitian civil society, have pushed for the extension of trade relations with Haiti. Of course, we thank the committee's Trade staff, led by Alexandra Whittaker, Mr. Rueda, Mr. O'Donovan, as well as former U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, who have supported our work to reauthorize the program for many years. We all know that Haiti faces overlapping humanitarian, political, and economic crises and needs both economic and political stability. The circumstances require immediate action. More than 60 percent of the people of Haiti are living below poverty lines, and over 25 percent of the population live in extreme poverty. The 37 percent youth unemployment rate, combined with declining female literacy and lower school enrollment rates, as well as the crime and gang violence we all know about, makes finding skilled work very difficult. I include in the Record links to two articles. One is ``Locked in Transition: Politics and Violence in Haiti,'' by the International Crisis Group. The link can be found here: https://www.crisisgroup.org/ latin-america-caribbean/caribbean/haiti/107-locked-transition- politics-and-violence-haiti The second is the ``World Report 2025: Rights Trends in Haiti.'' The link can be found here: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country- chapters/ haiti Madam Speaker, the security crisis and political instability have been compounded by a dire humanitarian situation. According to the World Bank, over 64 percent of Haiti's population of 11.7 million lived on less than $3.65 per day in 2024. The World Food Programme has identified Haiti as having one of the highest proportions of acute food insecure people in any crisis worldwide. In a

Referenced legislation: HR6504, HR6504