Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) issued the following statement after the US House of Representatives passed the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act, H.R. 3509 on which she served as an original co-sponsor:

“Four years ago, Haiti suffered a tragic earthquake that claimed over 220,000 lives and devastated almost 3 million livelihoods. While the United States has played an essential role in Haiti’s recovery—allocating $651 million to reconstruction activities—a recent report by the Government Accountability Office revealed that only $229.5 million, or 35% of the total funds, have been disbursed. After nearly four years of recovery efforts, there’s still a serious deficit of transparency and accountability.

The bipartisan Assessing Progress in Haiti Act of 2013 is an important win for effective foreign assistance and for the people of Haiti. The legislation, which overwhelmingly passed the House, extends and strengthens essential oversight and accountability by requiring the State Department to provide detailed progress reports every 6 months through September 30, 2016.”

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Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson is a second-term Congresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school. Along with Congressman Bill Posey, Congresswoman Corrine Brown, and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, Congresswoman Wilson serves as founding Co-Chair of the Florida Ports Caucus, a bipartisan taskforce that coordinates federal action in support of Florida’s harbors and waterways.