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Brian Lehrer: On WNYC and with us now, Congressmen Adriano Espaillat, Democrat from upper Manhattan and adjacent parts of the Bronx. He's, among other things, the first member of Congress originally from the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. He says he's been closely following the aftermath of the earthquake there. Congressman Espaillat is also planning what he calls an emergency rental assistance, virtual town hall for five o'clock tomorrow afternoon after the Supreme Court struck down part of new York's eviction moratorium the other day. We'll talk about those things and more. Thanks for coming on today with so much going on. Welcome back to WNYC congressmen.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: Thank you. Thank you, Brian. Thank you for having me in this show once again.

Brian Lehrer: What's the latest you're hearing from Haiti and what is the US government doing to help?

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: Well, the US government has sent in rescue teams and is sending help, monetary help. The latest I hear is that Haiti and the region really are bracing for tropical storm Grace that is a [unintelligible 00:01:22] power the storm but that nevertheless, after an earthquake, to have lots of rain is never a good thing. I've already begun to call the Haitian leaders in the city to see how we can also respond here to ensure that New York City, once again shows up and shows solidarity to Haiti or any country that faces a deep deep crisis, a deep natural disaster such as this one.

Over 1,000 people are dead, thousands are injured. Of course, this is yet again another tragedy.

Brian Lehrer: Listeners. One of the things we can do on the phones while Congressman Espaillat is here is to invite calls from any Haitians or Haitian Americans listening right now, let the rest of the listeners know what you're hearing from people down there and what they need, and how the US government or any of our listeners can help. 646-435-7280. Haitians and Haitian Americans, if any of you are listening right now, you're invited, 646-435-7280. We can take other calls for the Congressman too.

Any Afghans or African-Americans listening now who want to say anything about the crisis situation there and the US role? Any New Yorker worried about eviction? Want to ask about that with the Congressmen's emergency rent relief, virtual town hall scheduled for tomorrow after the new Supreme Court ruling weakening the state's eviction moratorium or maybe on the infrastructure bill. Yes or no, which I hope we'll get to too. 646-435-7280, 646-435-7280. Or tweet your question or comment @BrianLehrer.

Congressmen, is there more you can do either as a member of Congress affecting a federal government response to Haiti or at home here in New York to raise funds or anything else? I know there's a feeling of helplessness after an earthquake which comes out of the blue and now we have to deal with the after-effects. From what I've been seeing in the news, the crisis includes people still trapped with a shortage of rescue workers, homelessness from destroyed structures, food and water shortages looming in some places, looting in some places. It's so bad so many ways. What's the most the US could be doing?

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: Well, Brian I worked in some hurricane response relief efforts and, of course, with Maria in Puerto Rico and the subsequent tremors in Puerto Rico and other places across the world. New York has a big heart, and often people want to help. What happens usually in these crises is that they have a cycle. For example, if we fill a container with perishable goods, by the time it gets to the destination, it may be in a different cycle. They may be in the need of antibiotics or sometimes prescription drugs, in general, to push back on another type of crisis, a health crisis as this develops.

What I've heard so far from the folks on the ground and what I've heard from the Haitian-American leadership is that there's a group of organizations in Les Cayes, the area affected by the earthquake, that are responsible. The best way to help is to donate to those organizations there. There is a list of about five organizations that are reputable and could get help immediately. I think right now, that's probably the immediate need as we determine today and tomorrow, what are other needs that we can eventually send there?

Certainly, the Biden administration has a special Envoy that was assigned to Haiti under Moise's assassination and the crisis that emerged from that. That person is on the ground and should be able to assist us in making sure that we get a list of things that are immediately needed by the Haitian people that perhaps could be airlifted there. Transportation of help is often an issue. I know that when I worked in the past on different natural disasters, sometimes it can take weeks and months before our container, shipping container gets to its destination.

By the time folks are able to access it, the crisis is already at another stage. Airlifting help could be an important measure that must be taken. In addition to that, I know that the airport there is open as well, and so we must get help there as quickly as possible. What I recommend for folks in New York City is to donate to those five reputable organizations in the area of Les Cayes that will be able to assist the Haitian people right on the ground.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you for that level of detail. Eve in Brooklyn, you're on NYC with Congressmen Adriano Espaillat from Manhattan and the Bronx. Hi Eve.

Eve: Good morning, everyone, good morning Brian. Thank you for the good job and Congressman, good morning.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: Good morning.

Eve: I want to say thank you for the Dominicano Republic for the help and thank you also for Cuba. The doctors of Cuba came as soon as possible, and they've been good help over there. I wanted to underline also, regarding the other earthquake 2010. When that happened, we had a lot of help from all the big artists, Angelina Jolie, everyone, myself over here as Haitian American, I contributed the best I could, and we have plenty of money going over there, but it's been documented and proved that this money wasn't well shared over there.

We talk a lot about the Haitian corruption, but there's an international corruption going on also. If the government would take more eye, keep more eye on the distribution and make sure that help goes to the people because I think almost-- I don't know the number, but a lot of millions and millions worked for the earthquake of 2010, but the population didn't really benefit of this. There's a documentary of Mr. Raoul Peck if somebody could see it, showing how the ONG and other people from US and Europe, they go there and the money stay at the exterior of Haiti. That's what happened with Haiti.

The help is not always good help over there, and it's not always Haitian corruption. There's international corruption. People use this situation to make money also. That would be a good thing for NPR to take a look at. That's all I want to say.

Brian Lehrer: Hey Eve, I'm curious if given what you just described, you're watching the collapse of Afghanistan to the Taliban with a certain eye, because one of the underlying causes of that is said to be corruption in the Afghan Government, including regarding the way money from outside the country has been used that left the people meh about that government and even its own army meh about that government which created or contributed to the conditions for the Taliban to be able to overrun them.

Eve: Yes, that happened and see, also. I think we got to take a look better on help aid, even with this all this insecurity going on, because Haiti right there from the US and a lot of things happening in the Middle East, it because we left it goes slightly, and it come to be worse, and worse, and worse and we suffer badly over here from all of these things because politics is so dirty.

Brian Lehrer: Eve, thank you so much for your call, we really appreciate it call us again. Congressman Espaillat, anything you want to say in response to you.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: I believe that there is a grave concern about corruption not just in Haiti but as it pertains to our aid goes into any area in the world that has been hit by a natural disaster, such as this earthquake. That is why I have relied on the list of organizations that have been put forward by the Haitian roundtable here in New York City. They're on the ground there and I believe that we will get more for our donations if we do it directly over there on the ground than having to feed a broad bureaucracy to manage and administer money. Very often, what happens is that there is a huge bureaucracy that takes a good chunk of the help, and by the time it gets down to the people it's very little. I will be following that and I will be speaking with some other leaders from that community today to see how we're able to assist here from New York City.

Brian Lehrer: Louis, on Staten Island, you're on WNYC with Congressman Espaillat. Hi, Louis.

Louis: Yes, good morning, Brian. Good morning. I like to commend you in, of course, Congressman Espaillat to tell him that the thing is that we always appreciate his intervention, because on behalf of the Haitian people, as well as the Dominican brothers and sisters, in 2010 I was on the ground, there was a tremendous help from the Dominican Republic from our brothers and sisters, from the Dominican Republic. They were the first on the ground, and I was there with them. I must commend him and must commend the Dominican people as well.

Brian, let me say this that in everything in life, there's a plan, there's a methodology. If it's not plan defined properly, because ubiquitous of power politics is always interfering in what we do in Haiti, especially with the leaders that has absolutely no competence to carry out any program on behalf of the Haitian people, but as I said to the Congressman, there s a methodology. There must be a plan ahead, before going through the phases.

You have the phase of response, we have the phase of recovery, we have the phase of rehabilitation and we have the phase of reconstruction. Throughout those phases, you must have people that are competent to do the job. Unless you have people on the ground that has the capacity and has the necessary qualification, the same things are going to occur the same thing in 2010, the same thing is going to occur again. Thank you so very much. That's all I wanted to say.

Brian Lehrer: Louis, what's your impression then, having had the experience of the 2010 earthquake, whether people in Haiti, the government in Haiti, as well as maybe some of the nonprofits, were more prepared for another earthquake this time around and how to respond?

Louis: Yes, but my question is this, Brian. Unless there a planification so that it could be implemented properly, there must be a methodology. Unless the thing is we approach it as scientifically speaking there's not going to be an impact so that the people in Haiti will not benefit, especially the disabled persons because they are not seen. They are the last to be served because they cannot go and fight with the others that are in need at this time. The disabled people, the elderly, those that are vulnerable. The thing is, as I said, unless there's correct planification there will not be an impact.

It's the same thing that I believe the administration of Biden is doing. They are improvising, instead of going there to see that the thing is, those people that are there are not qualified. They are thieves, they are assassins, they are not qualified to carry out a plan on behalf of the Haitian people, Brian.

Believe me, I know what I'm talking about. I'm on the ground. I was there in 2010, I'm going to be there again. As I said, the Haitian people will not benefit because the reason why they will not benefit is because there is no plan. There's no planification. Everything has been improvised not only with the Haitian leaders, but as well as those that want to help us. For example, the Biden-Harris government. They do want to help but there's a saying that goes that-- What leads to hell, Brian?

Brian Lehrer: Good intentions?

Louis: Good intentions. It's paved that leads to hell. I'm not questioning their intention, I'm questioning their capacity, I'm questioning their competency, I'm questioning those people that are on the ground, to be able to go through the process.

Brian Lehrer: Louis, thank you. Thank you so much. I really appreciate. Call us again. As we continue with Congressman Adriano Espaillat, Democrat from Upper Manhattan and nearby parts of the Bronx. Congressman, coming back to New York state affairs and, in a way, National US affairs, tell us about your Emergency Virtual Town Hall tomorrow afternoon on rent relief?

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: Well, as you know, Brian, this is an ongoing problem. Access to the funds that we allocated, $2.7 billion that were allocated some time ago, to help folks meet their rent, not much of it has been used. Recently we're doing a little better. I believe that roughly about 13 millions were distributed last week Wednesday but still, we gave New York City $2.7 billion on emergency rental assistance. A lot of it has not been used. Hopefully, with this effort, on Tuesday, this effort will help give folks across my district and across the city of New York, greater information, more information as to how to access those dollars coming from the emergency rental assistance. It is important that we do that, that we exhaust the funds before we find the moratorium expiring again, and perhaps facing a homeless crisis. It is important that people have that information and they're able to access it as quickly as possible.

Brian Lehrer: Can you explain to people what the Supreme Court ruling the other day changes and what it doesn't change about the eviction moratorium? It can be confusing. It looks to me like they didn't throw out New York State's eviction moratorium entirely. What they threw out was a certain honor system, by which anybody who started applying to be protected by it would automatically be protected by it as opposed to proving something in court but it's confusing even to me. Do you understand it?

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: Well, this legally is to me but I know that the CDC extension of the moratorium is a good one, and that it's one that will put us right through-

Brian Lehrer: October 3rd.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: I believe this October, yes, October the 3rd. That's correct.

Brian Lehrer: Even though the New York State one was dinged by the Supreme Court, that doesn't affect the national one, which Biden extended to October. [crosstalk]

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: That includes New York. We're still protected through October 3rd, and that's one of the reasons why we are sponsoring this effort to get folks to get more information around the moratorium and the rental assistance, the emergency rental assistance, dollars that are available so that we can move quickly before we reach October the 3rd. It is important that everybody catches up before that happens.

Unfortunately, Brian, the Delta variant is still expanding across the country and it will provide further pressure on the government to extend even further the moratorium. It is important. For example, California it's moratorium to towards the end of September. We may have to expand it, even more, extend it even further out if the variant and the pandemic continues to expand the way it's doing right now. We're seeing across places across the country this fear that we will have 200,000 positive cases on a daily basis. This is not looking good as we move forward. Some folks are still refusing to vaccinate, and this is hurting all of us.

Brian Lehrer: Daniel in Manhattan you're on WNYC with Congressman Adriano Espaillat. Daniel. Hi there. Daniel are you there? Hi Daniel.

Daniel: Hello. Yes, I'm here.

Brian Lehrer: Go ahead.

Daniel: Yes, I wanted to ask-- I'm one of his constituents. It's been reported in online papers around here that Mr. Congressman, you want to change the name of Hamilton Heights and Washington Heights and Inwood, is this true? What is the name and why, why are we going to change the historical neighborhood the name of it? Could you please explain that crosstalk]?

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: It's not a name change. What we're trying to do is to get a designation similar to how East Harlem is called El Barrio, or Mott Street is called Chinatown, or for example, even Clinton, and the west side of Manhattan is called Hell's Kitchen. You have different enclaves of ethnic groups and racial groups across the city that have contributed to the city, and it's an acknowledgment of the precedence of the Dominican community in Northern Manhattan, that it will be known also as Quisqueya Heights.

You have, for example, Little Italy, you have Harlem, which is the Mecca of the African American presses in the country. You have Little Haiti in Flatbush, Brooklyn. At one point Washington Heights was called Frankfurt on the Hudson because of the strong presence of German Jews that came after the war to the Fort Washington Avenue area of this neighborhood. That is what it does. It's a designation to acknowledge the presence of that community, but Washington Heights will still be known as Washington Heights.

Brian Lehrer: Daniel, thank you for your call. We just have a few minutes left. When we invited you on for this segment last week, Congressman, as you probably know, it was before the Supreme Court eviction ruling. It was before the collapse of the government in Afghanistan to the Taliban, and it was before the earthquake in Haiti. What I thought our main conversation would be is now relegated to fourth or fifth on my list and that's the tension among House Democrats over the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill passed by the Senate.

We have Progressive's led by AOC who say they may not vote for it unless the human infrastructure bill for childcare and eldercare and other things passes first. Now we have centrist Democrats led by Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey saying they won't vote for the infrastructure bill unless human infrastructure comes second. Are you in one of those camps?

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: Well, I tell you, Brian, I won't vote for anything unless there's both.

Brian Lehrer: You're with AOC if we can put it that way.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: There is a need for a human infrastructure bill at $3.5 trillion for 10 years. I think there was a consensus. There is a consensus for us doing both. There may be a few members of Congress that don't agree with it, but overall, there is a consensus that the Senate did a bipartisan transportation infrastructure bill, and that it must be accompanied by a human family infrastructure bill that will have in it, amongst all things, changes to the Medicaid program to include vision and eye care and dental, in addition to that to have immigration reform, to have additional daycare funding, paid family leave and a host of things that are important to the American family.

This is important. Our leader, Nancy Pelosi is of the agreement that we must do both of them. I really don't see how any member of Congress will object to that since that particular bill will also have state and local government help. I would like to see how they handle that in their localities or in their respective state that they are blocking sabotaging help for their states and local governments that are in dire need of federal assistance.

Brian Lehrer: We're going to be at a time in a minute here, but one of Gottheimer's concerns is that if you wait on the infrastructure bill while the human infrastructure bill takes months to get through Congress with Democrats only, the bipartisan deal could still fall apart. He argues that since the human infrastructure bill will be Democrats only, you could really do that one any time without risking the physical infrastructure bill that's bipartisan so you could wait. How would you respond to that?

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: The bipartisan bill in the Senate was supported by a healthy majority that included significant numbers of Republican senators. I don't think there will be a collapse in that agreement. In fact, infrastructure is popular in blue states and in red states. Red states that are poor or struggling are in dire need of transportation and infrastructure money, and those senators recognize that. They also recognize that an infrastructure bill will be a great job-producing bill for their own respective states. I think that bipartisan effort is solid and we want to make sure that the family infrastructure bill goes through. The American people are still in need of a lot of help. We want to make sure that this happens and it happens now.

Brian Lehrer: Congressman Adriano Espaillat from Upper Manhattan and nearby parts of the Bronx. We always appreciate your time. Thank you so much.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat: Thank you so much, Brian. Thank you for having me.

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