[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 123 (Friday, August 1, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H7237-H7239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




WELCOMING AFRICAN LEADERS TO FIRST UNITED STATES-AFRICA LEADERS' SUMMIT

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Ways and Means be discharged from 
further consideration of the resolution

[[Page H7238]]

(H. Res. 699) welcoming African leaders to the first United States-
Africa Leaders' Summit and African trade ministers to the 13th Forum of 
the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:


                              H. Res. 699

       Whereas the United States Congress enacted the African 
     Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in 2000, with broad 
     bipartisan support and with a view to expanding growth and 
     opportunity in Africa;
       Whereas in the original AGOA legislation, Congress 
     encouraged the establishment of more regular high-level 
     dialogues, including regular meetings by the President with 
     his African counterparts;
       Whereas the people of Africa share the hopes and 
     aspirations of the people of the United States for peace and 
     prosperity, and are both committed to strengthening economic 
     relations;
       Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States 
     to support the reduction of poverty in the continent of 
     Africa;
       Whereas greater opportunities for mutually beneficial trade 
     and investments promote economic growth, development, poverty 
     reduction, democracy, the rule of law, and stability;
       Whereas good governance, including respecting 
     constitutional term limits, human rights, and ensuring that 
     civil society organizations are able to function freely 
     contribute to enduring economic and social development in 
     Africa;
       Whereas the countries in Africa are important economic 
     partners of the United States;
       Whereas Africa has today 6 of the 10 fastest growing 
     economies in the world, over 1,000,000,000 people, 60 percent 
     of the world's uncultivated agricultural land, and expanding 
     democracies;
       Whereas Africa is rich through the youth of its population, 
     enjoying a demographic advantage over all other regions of 
     the world, and is likely to replace China as the biggest 
     contributor to the global workforce by 2050;
       Whereas it is in the economic interest of the United States 
     to engage and compete in emerging African markets, boost 
     United States-Africa trade and investment, support greater 
     capacity building for Africa, and invest in Africa's youth 
     and leadership development;
       Whereas exports from sub-Saharan Africa to the United 
     States under AGOA have increased over three-fold from 
     $7,600,000,000 in 2001 to $24,800,000,000 in 2013;
       Whereas United States exports to sub-Saharan Africa have 
     increased from $6,900,000,000 to $23,900,000,000 and United 
     States investment in sub-Saharan Africa has increased six-
     fold;
       Whereas per capita income in sub-Saharan Africa has more 
     than tripled to $1,624 annually since Congress first passed 
     AGOA, yet nearly half the population in sub-Saharan Africa 
     lives in poverty;
       Whereas timely renewal of AGOA, which expires September 30, 
     2015, is critical to the maintenance and promotion of 
     investment opportunities in the region;
       Whereas regional integration should be strengthened to 
     improve the full utilization of AGOA preferences, and 
     elimination of barriers to trade and investment in Africa, 
     such as high tariffs, forced localization requirements, 
     restrictions on investment, and customs barriers, among 
     others, will strengthen and improve regional and global 
     integration;
       Whereas it remains the goal of United States policy to 
     support the diversification of sub-Saharan exports in terms 
     of products and countries that utilize AGOA;
       Whereas the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
     adopted several important Decisions and Declarations in Bali, 
     Indonesia, in December 2013, including the Agreement on Trade 
     Facilitation and specific results on agriculture and 
     development, with the protocol of amendment for the Agreement 
     on Trade Facilitation to be adopted on July 31, 2014;
       Whereas full implementation of the Agreement on Trade 
     Facilitation will help to address supply-side constraints in 
     Africa, promote regional integration on the continent, and 
     facilitate integration into global supply chains;
       Whereas the House of Representatives introduced on June 27, 
     2013, and passed on May 8, 2014, the Electrify Africa Act, to 
     make it a national policy of the United States to promote the 
     electrification of Sub-Saharan Africa to more than double the 
     number of people with access to power in order to improve 
     health and education outcomes and stimulate economic 
     opportunity; and
       Whereas, on June 30, 2013, in Cape Town, South Africa, 
     President Barack Obama announced the Power Africa Initiative, 
     to significantly increase the number of people with access to 
     power in Sub-Saharan Africa: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) welcomes African leaders to the first United States-
     Africa Leaders' Summit in Washington, DC;
       (2) welcomes African trade ministers to the 13th African 
     Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum;
       (3) recognizes the significant progress and hope that 
     modern Africa represents today in global affairs and economic 
     advancement with its booming demographics, increasing 
     modernization, dynamic youth, and vast resources;
       (4) acknowledges the vast opportunities to boost cultural, 
     trade, and economic relations and partnerships between the 
     United States and Africa;
       (5) recognizes the importance of renewing the AGOA program 
     well before its expiration in September 2015;
       (6) supports studying potential changes to the program to 
     improve its effectiveness and utilization and exploring how 
     Africa can address barriers to become more attractive to 
     trade and investment within Africa as well as globally;
       (7) encourages the prompt and full implementation of the 
     World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement 
     as one important way to address supply-side barriers and 
     encourage greater trade and investment in Africa; and
       (8) welcomes that the African Leaders at the African Union 
     Summit on June 27, 2014, reaffirmed their commitments to all 
     the decisions the Ministers took in Bali, including 
     emphasizing that assistance and support for capacity building 
     should be provided as envisaged in the Agreement on Trade 
     Facilitation, and that the Agreement should be implemented in 
     line with the decision Trade Ministers took in Bali, which 
     provides that a protocol be adopted by July 31, 2014, and 
     definitive entry into force by July 31, 2015.


                     Amendment Offered by Mr. Royce

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment to the text at the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
     following:

       That the House of Representatives--
       (1) is studying ways to improve the effectiveness and 
     utilization of the range of United States trade policy tools 
     with respect to Africa, including AGOA, and exploring how 
     Africa can address barriers to become more attractive to 
     trade and investment within Africa as well as globally; and
       (2) looks forward to continuing to work with African 
     leaders to improve our economic and bilateral relationships.

  Mr. ROYCE (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
to dispense with the reading.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The amendment was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, was agreed to.


             Amendment to the Preamble Offered by Mr. Royce

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment to the preamble at the 
desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Strike the preamble and insert the following:
       Whereas the people of Africa share the hopes and 
     aspirations of the people of the United States for peace and 
     prosperity, and are both committed to strengthening economic 
     relations;
       Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States 
     to support the reduction of poverty in the continent of 
     Africa;
       Whereas greater opportunities for mutually beneficial trade 
     and investments promote economic growth, development, poverty 
     reduction, democracy, the rule of law, and stability;
       Whereas the countries in Africa are important economic 
     partners of the United States;
       Whereas Africa has today 6 of the 10 fastest growing 
     economies in the world, over 1 billion people, 60 percent of 
     the world's uncultivated agricultural land, and expanding 
     democracies;
       Whereas Africa is rich through the youth of its population, 
     enjoying a demographic advantage over all other regions of 
     the world, and is likely to replace the People's Republic of 
     China as the biggest contributor to the global workforce by 
     2050;
       Whereas it is in the economic interest of the United States 
     to engage and compete in emerging African markets, boost 
     United States-Africa trade and investment, support greater 
     capacity building for Africa, and invest in Africa's youth 
     and leadership development;
       Whereas in 2000 the Congress passed the African Growth and 
     Opportunity Act (AGOA), with broad bipartisan support and 
     with a view to expanding growth and opportunity in Africa;
       Whereas in the original AGOA legislation, Congress 
     encouraged the establishment of more regular high-level 
     dialogues, including regular meetings by the President with 
     his African counterparts;
       Whereas exports from sub-Saharan Africa to the United 
     States under AGOA have increased over three-fold from $7.6 
     billion in 2001 to $24.8 billion in 2013;

[[Page H7239]]

       Whereas United States exports to sub-Saharan Africa have 
     increased from $6.9 billion to $23.9 billion and United 
     States investment in sub-Saharan Africa has increased six-
     fold;
       Whereas per capita income in sub-Saharan Africa has more 
     than tripled to $1,624 annually since Congress first passed 
     AGOA, yet nearly half the population in sub-Saharan Africa 
     lives in poverty;
       Whereas regional integration should be strengthened to 
     boost economic growth in Africa, and elimination of barriers 
     to trade and investment in Africa, such as high tariffs, 
     forced localization requirements, restrictions on investment, 
     and customs barriers, among others, will strengthen and 
     improve regional and global integration;
       Whereas it remains the goal of United States policy to 
     support the diversification of sub-Saharan exports in terms 
     of products and countries that utilize AGOA;
       Whereas the members of the World Trade Organization adopted 
     several important Decisions and Declarations in Bali, 
     Indonesia, in December 2013, including the Agreement on Trade 
     Facilitation and specific results on agriculture and 
     development, with the protocol of amendment for the Agreement 
     on Trade Facilitation to be adopted on July 31, 2014;
       Whereas full implementation by our trading partners of the 
     Agreement on Trade Facilitation will help to address supply-
     side constraints in Africa, promote regional integration on 
     the continent, and facilitate integration into global supply 
     chains;
       Whereas on June 30, 2013, in Cape Town, South Africa, 
     President Barack Obama announced the Power Africa Initiative, 
     to double the number of people with access to power in Sub-
     Saharan Africa;
       Whereas on May 8, 2014, the House of Representatives passed 
     the Electrify Africa Act, to make it a national policy of the 
     United States to support the electrification of sub-Saharan 
     Africa, and to direct United States agencies to devote 
     resources to facilitate and support the implementation of 
     this initiative; and
       Whereas the first United States-Africa Leaders' Summit and 
     the 13th African Growth and Opportunity Act Forum will be 
     held in Washington, DC, this summer: Now, therefore, be it

  Mr. ROYCE (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
to dispense with the reading.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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