U.S. bishop supports trade preference bill favoring Haiti

Published: 2006-10-09

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The head of the U.S. bishops' Committee on International Policy said the House of Representatives should pass a preferential trade bill to help stimulate economic growth in Haiti. Economic stability in Haiti is vital for political stability, said Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., in a letter to House members. The bill would help Haiti's struggling textile industry by opening up U.S. markets and it would encourage foreign investment in Haiti, he said in a letter sent before the House recessed Sept. 29 for midterm elections. The measure is expected to be taken up again after the House reconvenes Nov. 13. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Its history also has been marked by political violence, dictatorial rule and coups against elected governments. Bishop Wenski's letter and a separate letter to Rep. William Thomas, R-Calif., thanking him for introducing the trade preferential legislation, were released at the end of September in Washington by the U.S. bishops' Department of Communications.

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