BY: Marie Jean Rothschild
New York, New York — The Biden administration and Congressional Democrats have been good to Haitian American voters who care about Haiti and to HDPAC, whose senior advisor is retired Army Gen. Russel L. Honoré. In the last three years, HDPAC, the first and only Federal PAC for Haitian Americans, has worked closely with the Biden White House to solve social and political problems in Haiti. The administration has been very responsive to HDPAC’s requests. The group has been part of several White House briefings on Haiti.
“We had been working with the Biden administration to remove Ariel Henry and bring new leadership to Haïti with Dr. Gary Conille, Haiti’s current Prime Minister. We had gotten the White House and Congress to release some of the funding appropriated for Haïti. It has been a great partnership, but no one knows the future. We must be prepared for what could come. Our last line of defense is Congress. Democrats must take control of Congress in the event of a Trump Presidency.” said Emmanuel Roy, spokesperson for HDPAC.
Haitian Americans, like other interest groups, are very concerned about Biden’s debate performance and are now wondering what is the best way to ensure that Democrats keep the White House or, in the case of a Trump presidency, what can be done to have a check on his presidency.
This week, HDPAC announced that it will raise 250k for congressional Democrats, especially those candidates in swing districts, to ensure that Democrats will at least control the House and Senate in case Donald Trump wins the presidency.
The contrast between Trump and Biden is obvious for Haitian American voters. Trump promised to send all immigrants back to their country and suspend the humanitarian parole ordered by Biden, which benefits thousands of Haitian immigrants. If Trump became president, hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants may be sent back to Haiti. Last week, the Biden administration extended TPS for Haitian immigrants, protecting thousands from deportation and extending the opportunity for work permits.
In a recent meeting with leaders of the Haitian American community in Miami, HDPAC sounded the alarm, saying that if Trump won, this could be disastrous for Haiti. Haitian Diaspora leadership has decided the next best course is to help Democrats gain control of the House.
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (9th District of New York) is the current minority leader with a very good relationship with the group, having often met with Haitian Diaspora leadership to discuss funding and solutions. If Democrats win control of Congress, Jeffries will be the speaker of the House. In this context, HDPAC wants Haitian Americans to put their money where their mouth is- to support the last line of defense, which is control of Congress.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks during a House Judiciary Committee markup of H.R. 7120 the Justice in Policing Act, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 17, 2020. Greg Nash/Pool via REUTERS
HDPAC is organizing a series of fundraisers in New York, Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. to show support for Congressional Democrats. For more information about fundraising, contact HDPAC at their Washington, D.C. office at 202-509-9306 or email at legal@hdpac.org.
