[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 907 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 907

  Reaffirming our commitment to support progress toward transparency, 
 accountable institutions, and other tenets of good governance in the 
Republic of Liberia as it approaches the bicentennial of the arrival of 
     the first free Black Americans to Providence Island, Liberia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 4, 2022

  Mr. Meeks (for himself, Ms. Bass, Mr. McCaul, and Mr. Smith of New 
 Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Reaffirming our commitment to support progress toward transparency, 
 accountable institutions, and other tenets of good governance in the 
Republic of Liberia as it approaches the bicentennial of the arrival of 
     the first free Black Americans to Providence Island, Liberia.

Whereas, on January 7, 1822, free Black Americans arrived in present-day Liberia 
        through the efforts of the American Society for Colonizing the Free 
        People of Color of the United States, also known as the American 
        Colonization Society, established in 1816 to fund the passage of free 
        Black Americans to West Africa;
Whereas, in 1847, the free Black Americans declared independence from the 
        American Colonization Society and founded the Republic of Liberia, the 
        first independent African republic, and established diplomatic relations 
        with the United States in 1864 that have endured for more than 150 
        years;
Whereas United States interests in Liberia's natural resources and Liberia's 
        strategic location in West Africa resulted in enhanced bilateral 
        cooperation with the United States and prompted the United States and 
        Liberia to sign a defense cooperation agreement in 1942 and subsequent 
        agreements that facilitated strategic infrastructure development in 
        Monrovia and enhanced United States-Liberia defense cooperation 
        thereafter;
Whereas, in 1944, Liberia declared war against Germany and Japan, further 
        reinforcing Liberia's commitment to support the United States and the 
        Allies in World War II;
Whereas, from 1980 to 2003, Liberia's democracy was undermined by a coup d'etat, 
        corruption, mass atrocities such as rape, torture, and forced 
        disappearances, and two civil wars that left at least 250,000 people 
        dead, tens of thousands maimed, hundreds of thousands displaced, and 
        thousands of former child soldiers seeking rehabilitation and 
        reintegration for physical and mental trauma;
Whereas Liberia, with United States support for democracy, governance, and 
        anticorruption initiatives, emerged from decades of civil war in 2003 
        and worked to rehabilitate the democratic process through successive 
        free and fair elections ever since;
Whereas, in 2016, the United Nations Security Council voted to end sanctions and 
        an arms embargo on Liberia, citing substantial progress on postconflict 
        stabilization;
Whereas the United States acknowledges ongoing efforts to address government 
        corruption and other critical reforms in Liberia and will continue to 
        work with the Liberian Government to advance the objectives of the 
        Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission and other anticorruption agencies 
        and goals underpinning Liberia's participation in the Summit for 
        Democracies in December 2021;
Whereas the United States remains the largest and longest bilateral donor to the 
        Republic of Liberia, allocating more than $3,000,000,000 in multiagency 
        assistance since 2003 to support stabilization, economic recovery, 
        development, and global health, including support for Liberia's response 
        to the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 
        during which the United States has worked with partners to donate nearly 
        900,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses;
Whereas the United States has demonstrated its commitment to bolster bilateral 
        relations through continued sessions of the U.S.-Liberia Partnership 
        Dialogue, Liberia's ongoing participation in the House Democracy 
        Partnership, and related initiatives;
Whereas Liberia remains a beneficiary of United States trade preferences through 
        the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the 2007 Trade and Investment 
        Framework Agreement, both of which affirm the importance of open and 
        diversified trade and investment between the United States and Liberia; 
        and
Whereas the Liberian people and the Liberian diaspora have contributed 
        significantly to the United States and Liberia and reaffirm the 
        longstanding transatlantic ties between the two nations, which will be 
        underscored by the Republic of Liberia's bicentennial celebration: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) remains committed to nurturing the enduring ties 
        between the people and the Governments of the United States and 
        Liberia, including through the provision of United States 
        support for a strong civil society, reputable and accountable 
        institutions, transparency, and other tenets of good governance 
        that should help lay a solid foundation for Presidential 
        elections in 2023;
            (2) encourages Liberia to redouble its efforts to counter 
        corruption, advance the causes of human rights, and implement 
        critical economic reforms necessary to accelerate sustainable 
        economic growth and human capital development;
            (3) calls on the Departments of State and the Treasury to 
        continue to impose targeted sanctions and other measures 
        against those responsible for undermining the rule of law as 
        well as the faith and trust of the Liberian people through the 
        conduct of corruption, gross violations of human rights, and 
        other acts that threaten the peace and security of Liberia;
            (4) recalls the historical significance of Liberia's 
        bicentennial anniversary as the country continues to build a 
        vibrant and inclusive democracy; and
            (5) supports the continuing efforts of the Liberian 
        diaspora in the United States and their substantial 
        contributions to robust transatlantic dialogue, engagement, and 
        transformational initiatives that advance democratic principles 
        in Liberia.
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