Congress pass legislation to strengthen US/Caribbean relations
On Tuesday, December 13, the US Congress passed legislation meant to enhance closer engagement between the United States and the Caribbean.
The legislation, The United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act, which passed the US House and Senate, has advanced to President Barack Obama for his signature.
The Act requires the US Secretary of State and Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to submit to Congress a multiyear strategy focused on enhancing engagement with Caribbean nations. The legislation places emphasis on energy security, countering violence, expanding diplomacy and providing educational exchange opportunities for citizens of the Caribbean.
In their joint announcement of the passage of the law, the ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Eliot Engel, and former Chairman of the Committee Ileana Ros-Lehtinen from Miami, Florida, said the Act calls for a new, long-term strategy to strengthen ties between the US and its Caribbean neighbours.
Congressman Engel, one of the authors of the related bill, said “at a time when our friends in the Caribbean need us more than ever, this bill will prioritize our partnership with the sub-region for many years to come. It’s long past time to have a multi-year strategy that will allow us to increase engagement with the Caribbean, especially when it comes to energy and security.” He added, “Caribbean countries are profoundly important to the US, and particularly the many Caribbean-American citizens in our country.”
He said he was looking forward to working with the Caribbean-American diaspora to ensure they could provide input to the State Department and USAID on U.S. relations with the Caribbean in the years ahead. “With constant crises around the globe that demand U.S. attention, we must not lose sight of our long-term interests close to home,” Engel said.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen said she was honoured to work alongside Engel in order to send “this important legislation aimed at prioritizing our bilateral relationships with allies in the Caribbean to the President’s desk.”
The congresswoman said it’s important for the US to strengthen its relationship with Caribbean nations so these nations view the U.S. as a reliable partner. “I look forward to seeing this important legislation implemented in order to advance our own national security interests,” Ros-Lehtinen said.
In welcoming the Act, Jamaica’s Ambassador to the US, Audrey Marks, commended Congressional Reps Engle and Ros-Lehtinen for piloting the bill.
Ambassador Marks said the Caribbean owed both Representatives a debt of gratitude, as the Region is a valuable partner to the US and values this relationship deeply. “This bill will go a far way in further strengthening the relationship between the US and the Caribbean Region,” she said.
