The Biden administration will help Haiti with security and law enforcement to the tune of around $110 million, despite Republican lawmakers’ months-long block on the funding. Speaking on background, a U.S. State Department official disclosed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived at the conclusion after providing Congress with more than 100 briefings.
“The security situation in Haiti remains untenable due to violence perpetrated by violent gangs, and the people of Haiti cannot wait,” the official said. The funds include $95 million for security mission support and $15 million for the Haitian National Police to counter gang violence.
Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed disappointment, stating, “The Biden Administration’s choice to override the hold I had placed on U.S. taxpayer funding for the ill-conceived Haiti MSS (Multinational Security Support Mission) is extremely disappointing.” Both Risch and Representative Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had earlier put “holds” on the funds, requesting to have “a lot more details” before approval.
The State Department has been in communication with Congress in order to secure permission for the monies, which were considered necessary for the deployment of Kenyan police in Haiti, where hundreds of thousands have been displaced and food supplies have been cut off due to gang violence. The foreign relations committee leaders have the authority to approve or withhold the funding, but in dire circumstances, the administration may override their holds.
