Religious leaders urge Congress to act on bills to aid Haiti, Congo

Published: 2006-11-07

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- U.S. religious leaders are urging members of Congress to pass a bill to aid Haitian trade access when they reconvene after the midterm elections. In a separate statement the chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on International Policy, Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., also called on Congress to take various steps to address the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A coalition of churches wrote to members of Congress urging them to pass the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006, known as the HOPE Act. The Oct. 31 letter says "the present moment offers great hope that Haiti is on the path to deeper security for its people and the entire region." The HOPE Act, which would give Haiti preferential trade access, is "a critical step that will attract investment in Haiti, create jobs and help tackle Haiti's crippling poverty and instability," said the letter.

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