the Committee to Protect Journalists, five Haitian journalists have been shot while covering protests, including one who was killed. On September 23, 2019, Haitian Senator Jean Marie Ralph Féthière shot Associated Press photojournalist Chery Dieu-Nalio in the face after he exited his car and fired multiple shots near a crowd of people surrounding him. (15) Economic growth in Haiti is projected to drop below 1.5 percent this year. Inflation is estimated to be 15 percent and the local currency has depreciated by 30 percent in the past year. The government and parliament have failed to pass a budget for two years, preventing the International Monetary Fund and other multilaterals from disbursing millions in international assistance. (16) Midterm elections set for October 2019 did not take place and will leave President Moise ruling by decree after two-thirds of the Haitian Senate expires in January 2020. 3. Statement of policy It is the policy of the United States to support the sustainable rebuilding and development of Haiti in a manner that— (1) embraces Haitian independence, self-reliance, sovereignty, democratic governance, and efficiency