[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 97 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 97

 Reaffirming the importance of the United States relationship with the 
                          Dominican Republic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 4, 2021

Mr. Espaillat submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Reaffirming the importance of the United States relationship with the 
                          Dominican Republic.

Whereas the Dominican Republic is a crucial partner to the United States in 
        hemispheric affairs, which includes bilateral trade, diplomacy, tourism, 
        and security cooperation, and it is vital to not only maintain but also 
        continue to foster this strong and special relationship;
Whereas the strength of the relationship between the United States and the 
        Dominican Republic is rooted in political, economic, and cultural ties 
        which have continuously solidified since the Dominican Republic first 
        gained independence in 1844;
Whereas, as the first major wave of Dominican migrants to the United States 
        began in the 1960s and has continued throughout the decades since, there 
        are over 2 million people of Dominican descent who now live in the 
        United States, currently making the Dominican-American community the 
        fifth-largest Hispanic group in the United States;
Whereas support between the nations is reciprocal, and the United States is 
        committed to its continued support, both in words and actions, to the 
        Dominican Republic's democratic and economic development;
Whereas the United States greatly benefits from all the valuable contributions 
        made by the Dominican community and Dominican culture, literature, 
        music, dance, and sports;
Whereas the sport of baseball, commonly known as ``America's favorite pastime'', 
        is a major source of pride and cultural identity for the Dominican 
        Republic, and as one of the most significant contributors to Major 
        League Baseball, Dominicans not only currently represent 11.6 percent of 
        all Major League Baseball starters, but also represent some of the 
        greatest players of all time, including Hall-of-Famers Juan Marichal, 
        Pedro Martinez, and Vladimir Guerrero;
Whereas the Dominican Republic is the largest economy in both the Caribbean and 
        Central America regions, and the United States is the Dominican 
        Republic's largest trade partner;
Whereas one of the top contributing factors to the Dominican Republic's economy 
        is remittances, most of which originate from the United States, 
        accounting for 77.4 percent of the remittances the Dominican Republic 
        received in 2018;
Whereas one of the greatest examples of both nations' strong commitment is the 
        Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) trade 
        agreement, resulting in stronger trade and investment ties, which has 
        also strengthened the relationship and furthered the economic prosperity 
        of both countries;
Whereas the highest and lowest elevations in the West Indies are found within 
        the Dominican Republic's major mountain ranges and the fertile valleys 
        which contribute to the country's agricultural export sector;
Whereas in addition to trade potential, the Dominican Republic's mountain 
        terrain, along with its beautiful beaches and other geographically 
        unique landscapes, create significant tourism potential;
Whereas tourism is one of the most important sectors in the Dominican Republic's 
        economy, and Americans account for over 30 percent of international 
        travelers visiting the country, comprising 2 million of the 6.6 million 
        who visited in 2018;
Whereas Americans can continue to safely enjoy all that the Dominican Republic 
        has to offer, as the country has announced new safety measures, 
        including thousands more tourist agents, national police, and public 
        security cameras; and
Whereas the Dominican Republic has also entered into a partnership with United 
        States-based Ecolab, which will provide training and certification to 
        all Department of Tourism Services and Companies inspectors: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) under the umbrella of the congressionally approved 
        bipartisan and bicameral Friends of the Dominican Republic 
        Caucus, the United States Congress will continue its focus on 
        strengthening the relationship between the United States and 
        the Dominican Republic;
            (2) relations between the United States and the Dominican 
        Republic have led to expanded economic prosperity, shared 
        cultures, and increased regional stability;
            (3) the Dominican Republic is a safe, reliable, and 
        hospitable tourist destination that travelers from the United 
        States and countries around the world can enjoy without 
        concern; and
            (4) the United States and the Dominican Republic are 
        committed to a continued partnership, further economic 
        prosperity, and enhanced security and stability in the region.
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