[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 472 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 472

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 7, 2021

  Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Cassidy) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               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 Senate--
            (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 Resilience Partnership 
                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.
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