Washington, D.C.- House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Chairwoman Maria Salazar (R-FL), and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) issued the following statement regarding the passage of H.R.1684 during yesterday’s committee markup. The bill, introduced last week by the lawmakers, would require the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress regarding the ties between criminal gangs and political and economic elites in Haiti, and impose sanctions on political and economic elites involved in such criminal activities.
“We are proud to have passed this bipartisan legislation out of committee during yesterday’s markup. H.R. 1684 would ensure the Secretary of State sanction Haiti’s economic and political elite who regularly use gangs as lever of power," the members wrote. “The bill also ensures that Congress receives regular reports on Haitian gang activity and related criminality. We are committed to holding corrupt officials accountable and prohibiting their free travel and activities in the United States. We look forward to working across the aisle to advance this critical bill to the House floor for a vote."