Several bills put before the United States Congress since the beginning of the year could impact aid workers and development organizations — if they get enough political support to be enacted into law.
While individual foreign aid bills aren’t likely to get much attention in the early days of an administration more focused on reforming its domestic health care system, each bill offers a snapshot into the issues facing the administration, the priorities of its sponsor, or merely a nod to a representative’s constituents.
The Haitian Educational Empowerment Act of 2017, sponsored by Democrat Alcee Hastings, would establish a scholarship program for Haitian undergraduate students through the U.S. State Department. Hastings, whose Florida district includes West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, major cities with large populations of Haitians and Haitian Americans, put the act forward on the first day of this Congress, along with 15 other bills.
About the author
Molly McCluskey
Molly McCluskey is an independent journalist whose work has appeared in Al Jazeera English, U.S. News & World Report, Middle East Eye, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and an array of national and international publications. She has written extensively on global economic issues and their impacts on individuals, institutions and nations. In 2014, Molly was selected for the prestigious International Women’s Media Foundation’s Democratic Republic of the Congo reporting fellowship, and in 2016 won the McGraw Fellowship for Business Reporting. She recently completed her third term as a member of the Board of Governors of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. She divides her time between the U.S. and Europe.
