Washington, DC -- Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared, at a full committee hearing entitled "Confronting Haiti’s Terrorist Gangs: The Gang Suppression Force and the Path Ahead.” Members heard testimony from Amb. Michael Kozak, Senior Bureau Official in the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Colonel Justin Gorkowski, Co-Lead of the Defense Department's Haiti Gang Suppression Force Tiger Team.
"Thank you, Chairman Mast, for calling this hearing. And thank you to our witnesses for joining us.
"For years, Haiti has endured a convergence of violence, political instability, economic collapse, and humanitarian suffering that has no parallel in our hemisphere.
"Armed gangs control large parts of Haiti’s capital. Families have been driven from their homes. Women and children face gender-based violence. Hospitals struggle to function. Schools have closed. Nearly 5.7 million Haitians – half of the country – face acute food insecurity.
"While we may not all agree on the best approach to addressing this crisis, I believe we can all agree that U.S.-Haiti policy – under Democratic and Republican administrations alike – has fallen short.
"Closing that gap is not only a matter of conscience. It’s a matter of national and regional security. Helping Haiti overcome this crisis is not charity; it’s a strategic investment in a safer, more prosperous hemisphere.
"But in doing so we must recognize that another U.S.-imposed solution will not work. Haiti’s future cannot be designed in Washington, New York, or Geneva. Lasting progress must be Haitian-led and accountable to the Haitian people. The U.S. should offer sustained support, and we must work with like-minded countries around the world, but as partners, not architects.
"That brings me to the Gang Suppression Force. With proper implementation, the GSF can help Haitian authorities push back against gangs, secure critical infrastructure, and create the conditions for Haitians to begin rebuilding their country. I hope it’s successful.
"But we must also be honest about what the GSF cannot do. It cannot replace legitimate governance. It cannot substitute for long-term investments in institutions, economic opportunity, or public trust.
"You can capture or kill gang members. But if you do not address the broken political and economic system that creates, finances, and replenishes these gangs, the cycle of violence will only continue.
"If the GSF mission is not paired with a serious political process, humanitarian relief, and a plan to reclaim gang-controlled territory, then any gains will be temporary. Security without a political and economic strategy is not a solution, it is only a pause.
"Any security mission in Haiti must also be accompanied by disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs. Humanitarian assistance must flow alongside security assistance -- because Haitians need food, medicine, and shelter.
"That means the Trump Administration must bring forward a comprehensive strategy equal to the scale of the crisis. The administration should start by reversing its own damaging policies. The gutting of U.S. foreign aid has hit Haiti particularly hard.
"And even as the administration warns Americans against traveling to Haiti, it claims the island is safe enough to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and deport some 350,000 Haitians. This is not just cruel, it’s contradictory, and it will only exacerbate instability in Haiti.
"Next, the administration must identify and hold accountable those members of Haiti's political and economic elite who are supporting the gangs. It has failed to do so adequately, despite a Congressional mandate in my bipartisan Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act, which became law last year.
"Congress can do more as well.
"I introduced the “SAK PASE in Haiti Act,” with Rep. Murphy of North Carolina that would require the State Department to develop a comprehensive strategy to counter instability in Haiti. Congress should pass it today. And unless Congress reauthorizes HOPE/HELP for an extended period, jobs that are a lifeline for Haitians fleeing gang violence will evaporate.
"Support for Haiti has long had bipartisan backing in Congress, because the American people understand the suffering the Haitian people have endured and want to help. After the 2010 earthquake killed more than 300,000 people, Americans across the country mobilized, because that is who we are.
"The United States has a responsibility to lead. But we must do so in a way that avoids repeating the mistakes of the past, centers Haitian voices, and delivers the partnership this moment demands. So I look forward to our discussion today and hearing how this administration intends to be the partner that this moment calls for. Thank you."
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