Washington, D.C. — Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) yesterday (Wednesday, Jan. 13) joined 22 of his colleagues in urging Senate leadership of both parties to support emergency funding for Haiti.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), and the Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), the Senators ask that “robust emergency funds” be attached to the next legislative vehicle.
The letter points out that Haiti is already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and that the “relief and reconstruction needs of the Haitian people be substantial and long term.”
“The thoughts and prayers of Minnesotans are with the Haitian people right now,” said Sen. Franken. “It is nearly impossible to comprehend the scope of this disaster. We need to act swiftly and decisively to get supplies and resources to Port-au-Prince and do whatever we can to help in the wake of this catastrophe.”
President Obama promised $100 million in relief aid to Haiti. It is impossible to confirm the number of casualties, but the lack of clean drinking water and the insufficient number of medical personnel to treat the sick and wounded means that the crisis is far from over.
