[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1509 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1509
Reaffirming the partnership between the United States and the Dominican
Republic and advancing opportunities to deepen diplomatic, economic,
and security cooperation between the two nations.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 6, 2022
Mr. Espaillat (for himself, Ms. Salazar, and Mr. Sires) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Reaffirming the partnership between the United States and the Dominican
Republic and advancing opportunities to deepen diplomatic, economic,
and security cooperation between the two nations.
Whereas the United States and the Dominican Republic share extensive economic,
security, and cultural ties and a mutual commitment to the promotion of
internationally recognized human rights, democratic values, and the rule
of law;
Whereas the bilateral relationship between the United States and the Dominican
Republic has contributed to the economic prosperity and national
security of both countries, including through the Dominican Republic-
Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement and the Caribbean
Basin Security Initiative;
Whereas under the leadership of President Luis Abinader, who took office on
August 16, 2020, the Government of the Dominican Republic has taken
steps to effectively address the COVID-19 pandemic, fully vaccinating
over 60 percent of its adult population, one of the highest vaccination
rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, and acquiring sufficient
surplus vaccines to provide donations to other countries in the region;
Whereas in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of the Dominican
Republic has committed to working with the United States, other Group of
7 countries, the International Monetary Fund, and the Inter-American
Development Bank to advance global and regional post-pandemic economic
recovery efforts;
Whereas in 2020, United States foreign direct investment in the Dominican
Republic totaled $274,500,000, and remittances from the United States
accounted for approximately 78 percent of the over $8,000,000,000 in
remittances sent to the Dominican Republic, according to data from the
Congressional Research Service and World Bank, respectively;
Whereas, on September 30, 2021, President Abinader signed presidential decree
612-21, creating a ministerial task force to advance nearshoring
initiatives and strengthen the Dominican Republic's participation in
international supply chains and role as an industrial, manufacturing,
and logistical hub, including by expanding the country's network of free
trade zones;
Whereas the United States and the Dominican Republic would benefit from a
coordinated plan of action to bolster economic relations, realign supply
chains, and expand ties between the private sectors in both countries;
Whereas the Government of the United States has engaged with the Dominican
Republic and other regional partners to address the United States
serious concerns over the security, human rights, and data privacy risks
associated with investments by the People's Republic of China in
telecommunication networks and other critical infrastructure;
Whereas the Government of the Dominican Republic has committed to strengthening
security cooperation with the United States to address the threats posed
by transnational criminal organizations and human trafficking, drug
trafficking, and money laundering networks;
Whereas a humanitarian crisis, rampant crime, gang violence, and instability in
neighboring Haiti, a situation exacerbated by the July 7, 2021,
assassination of President Jovenel Moise, has deepened the suffering of
the Haitian people, increased risks to the Dominican Republic posed by
organized criminal groups along its borders, and strained the economic
capacity of the Government of the Dominican Republic to address the
humanitarian needs of Haitian migrants;
Whereas President Abinader has taken significant steps to make the Government of
the Dominican Republic more accountable and effective, including by
addressing corruption and impunity, appointing an independent Public
Prosecutor, requiring additional transparency in public procurement, and
proposing legislation to modernize asset forfeiture laws;
Whereas, on October 20, 2021, the Governments of the Dominican Republic, Costa
Rica, and Panama signed a joint declaration expressing concern about
irregular migration flows, climate change, post-COVID-19 economic
recovery, the deteriorating human rights situation in Nicaragua, and the
humanitarian crisis in Haiti, and called for stronger cooperation on
these issues from the United States, regional partners, and the
international community;
Whereas the Government of the Dominican Republic, as host of the Latin America
and Caribbean Climate Week 2021, has called for greater regional
coordination to address the effects of climate change, including more
extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, environmental displacement,
and adverse health effects, which Small Island Developing States in the
Caribbean are disproportionately vulnerable to;
Whereas the Government of the Dominican Republic has called for the peaceful
restoration of democracy and rule of law in Venezuela and is hosting
approximately 114,000 Venezuelan refugees; and
Whereas approximately 2,000,000 people of Dominican origin currently reside in
the United States, and over 2,000,000 United States tourists visit the
Dominican Republic annually, accounting for the largest number of
foreign tourists to the country and bolstering its economically critical
tourism sector: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the historic
partnership between the United States and the Dominican
Republic based on shared democratic values and efforts to
advance economic prosperity and national security;
(2) encourages continued actions by the Government of the
Dominican Republic to assume a regional leadership role in
promoting human rights, democratic values, and humanitarian
assistance;
(3) calls for further steps to strengthen cooperation
between the Governments of the United States and the Dominican
Republic on issues of shared strategic interest, including--
(A) by assisting the Dominican Republic in its
post-COVID-19 economic recovery, including through
support for United States and global initiatives that
help developing countries recover financial
sustainability and attain equitable access to
international financial markets;
(B) by developing and implementing nearshoring
initiatives in the Caribbean Basin to realign
international supply chains and strengthen the
Dominican Republic's standing as a significant
industrial, manufacturing, and logistical hub,
including through cooperation on infrastructure
development such as ports, power grids, and at free
trade zones;
(C) facilitating the expansion of economic and
commercial ties, including by prioritizing bilateral
development project financing and the formation of a
United States-Dominican Republic Business Council;
(D) by supporting and developing collaborative
efforts to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate
change, including promoting development and
strengthening the U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address
the Climate Crisis 2030 and similar initiatives;
(E) by improving security cooperation between the
two countries, including in addressing narcotics and
human trafficking, dismantling money laundering
networks, and strengthening professional law
enforcement and criminal justice institutions; and
(F) by increasing cooperation with the Dominican
Republic and other international partners to promote
stability in Haiti, address Haiti's humanitarian
crisis, and facilitate political solutions supported by
the Haitian people;
(4) urges the Government of the Dominican Republic to
continue taking steps to address the inherent human rights,
security, and data privacy risks posed by reliance on
technology from the People's Republic of China, including
Huawei components, in telecommunication networks;
(5) commends efforts by President Abinader to strengthen
the political independence of the Attorney General's Office and
institutionalize anti-corruption reforms; and
(6) calls on the Department of State and the United States
Agency for International Development to continue to support the
efforts of the Government of the Dominican Republic to respond
to the humanitarian needs of Haitian migrants in the Dominican
Republic.
<all>