A massive spending bill signed by President Biden on Tuesday to fund the federal government and provide $13.6 billion to address Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also includes language on accountability on Haiti and modification to U.S. policy toward the crisis-wracked Caribbean nation.
Tucked inside the omnibus spending bill’s 2,741-pages are reporting requirements for the State Department to brief congressional lawmakers on everything from Haiti’s ongoing governance crisis and individuals involved in acts of corruption to the events surrounding the 2018 massacre in Port-au-Prince’s La Saline neighborhood, to a status report on the ongoing investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
Lawmakers are not just seeking an update on where the U.S. investigation stands, but they want an assessment on Haiti’s ability to carry out its stalled inquiry into the July 7 killing and what assistance the Biden administration has provided to the country’s dysfunctional judiciary to help.