Statement on the Earthquake in Haiti

January 17, 2009

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) released the following statement on the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Haitian people as they deal with the aftermath of this devastating natural disaster. I repeat President Obama’s message to the Haitian people: ‘You will not be forsaken. You will not be forgotten.’ Our courageous men and women in uniform and countless aid workers have already mobilized to respond to this horrific disaster. The United States, in cooperation with the United Nations and other international aid groups, is committed to assisting the Haitian people as they rebuild their nation. In this hour of need, the American people have stepped forward to donate unprecedented amounts of funds to alleviate the suffering in Haiti.

From the State Department: The U.S. Embassy in Port Au Prince has set up a task force at the Embassy which is taking calls as conditions permit. The Embassy is working to identify U.S. citizens in Haiti who need urgent assistance and to identify sources of emergency help. U.S. citizens are urged to contact the Embassy via email to request assistance. U.S. citizens in Haiti can call the Embassy’s Consular Task Force at 509-2229-8942, 509-2229-8089, 509-2229-8322, or 509-2229-8672. The State Department has also created a task force to monitor the emergency. People in the U.S. or Canada with information or inquiries about U.S. citizens in Haiti may reach the Haiti Task Force at 888-407-4747; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Outside of the U.S. and Canada, call 202-501-4444. For further information and updates, please see the State Department’s Consular Affairs website.

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren is serving her eighth term in Congress representing most of the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County. She is the Chair of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. She also serves as Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. She Chairs the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections and serves on the House Homeland Security Committee. Congresswoman Lofgren is Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation consisting of 34 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from California.