{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2021/07/07/higgins-calls-state-department-help-secure-rice-shipments-haiti/", "Higgins Calls on State Department to Help Secure Rice Shipments in Haiti", "2021-07-07", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) delivered an official letter today to the U.S. State Department\u2019s Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor calling for increased assistance in securing U.S. rice and other food shipments in Haiti. The request follows growing gang-related violence, unrest, and the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Mo\u00efse.\n\n\u201cHaiti is the top market for U.S.-grown milled rice and has been a loyal and growing market for many years, and the people of Haiti have a strong demand for our product. In recent years, we have shipped about 450,000 metric tons of rice valued at more than $200 million to Haiti annually,\u201d Congressman Higgins wrote. \u201cUnfortunately, the unrest has made unloading rice shipments in Haiti difficult and dangerous. Because of the value of rice as a staple food in Haiti, shipments are prioritized as targets by local gangs and even hired, armed security is unable to prevent theft. These armed robberies often result in the shipment not being delivered to its intended destination.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile the continued theft of U.S. rice shipments causes export market and safety concerns, I am worried that this will further increase food insecurity in Haiti. As you and your staff throughout the Department know, food insecurity is the number one driver of conflict and violence,\u201dCongressman Higgins continued. \u201cI ask your help in working with the United Nations to intervene in Haiti and establish peace, or at the very least, better secure the delivery of all critical food inland to the people of Haiti.\u201d\n\nThe full letter is available below or as a pdf here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2021/07/07/higgins-calls-state-department-help-secure-rice-shipments-haiti/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2135598808526993, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}