[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 12, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5949-H5951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REAFFIRMING THE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE 
  CARIBBEAN NATIONS AND RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN TRADE AND 
  INVESTMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE CARIBBEAN NATIONS, OUR 
                            ``THIRD BORDER''

  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1168) reaffirming the economic partnership 
between the United States and the Caribbean nations and recognizing the 
need to strengthen trade and investment between the United States and 
the Caribbean nations, our ``Third Border'', as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. RES. 1168

       Whereas Congress commits to strengthening economic ties and 
     cooperation with the Caribbean people to promote equitable 
     economic growth and development across the region;
       Whereas the Caribbean region has a population of 
     approximately 44,000,000 people, millions of people have 
     emigrated between the Caribbean and the United States, and 
     approximately 13,000,000 people in the United States, or 4 
     percent of the United States population, share Caribbean 
     ancestry;
       Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States 
     to support the economic development of sovereign Caribbean 
     nations and territories;
       Whereas greater opportunities for mutually beneficial trade 
     and investments promote economic growth, development, poverty 
     reduction, democracy, the rule of law, civil rights, and 
     overall stability;
       Whereas regional and global integration with our Caribbean 
     neighbors should be strengthened to create decent jobs, boost 
     economic growth in the Caribbean and the United States, and 
     eliminate barriers to trade and investment in the Caribbean;
       Whereas it remains the goal of the United States to support 
     diversification of Caribbean exports to the United States;
       Whereas, in 1983, Congress launched the Caribbean Basin 
     Initiative (CBI) through the Caribbean Basin Economic 
     Recovery Act (CBERA) and expanded it in 2000 with the United 
     States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA);
       Whereas the United States shares a history of struggle with 
     Caribbean neighbor countries, including with our courageous 
     sister nation of Haiti;
       Whereas Haiti suffered destabilizing events in 2021, 
     including severe insecurity, a deadly earthquake, widespread 
     democratic protests, continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
     and the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, all of 
     which have contributed to a governance and humanitarian 
     crisis that requires immediate further attention and support 
     from the United States and the global community;
       Whereas specialized United States trade preferences with 
     Haiti, including the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) and 
     Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act 
     (HOPE II) programs, aid Haiti's growing textile and apparel 
     manufacturing industry and are a critical source of steady 
     jobs for many Haitian people to support their families;
       Whereas trade preference programs for the Caribbean and 
     Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, such as the 
     Generalized System of Preferences, CBI, and CBTPA have 
     provided important economic benefits for Caribbean Basin 
     country economies, including by facilitating niche production 
     and more diversified exports, while also benefitting United 
     States businesses and workers, including by helping to add 
     value for customers and supporting United States jobs;
       Whereas Caribbean people and their island nation economies 
     have led globally by exploring innovative economic strategies 
     to produce collective benefits for their communities, such as 
     through the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, to 
     reduce the economic impact of major disasters;
       Whereas the United States seeks to prioritize and promote a 
     worker-centered trade agenda that facilitates trade and 
     protects freedom of association, fosters a sustainable 
     environment and climate path, advances racial equity and 
     supports underserved communities, addresses unfair economic 
     trade practices, supports domestic producers, and promotes 
     growth and development around the world;
       Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the 
     public health and economies of the Caribbean and the United 
     States, which has also contributed to inequality within and 
     between nations, and further excluded vulnerable groups from 
     the benefits of trade and economic development;
       Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to 
     strengthen supply chain resilience and increase near-shoring 
     in global trade;
       Whereas the United States believes that free and fair trade 
     practices, economic growth, and stable domestic employment 
     foster democratic principles of good governance;
       Whereas United States and Caribbean economic ties, 
     including through Caribbean services and manufacturing 
     sectors, produce critical goods and services for consumers 
     and jobs for workers that strengthen their economies;
       Whereas such economic ties serve strategic purposes by 
     providing an alternative to potentially predatory economic 
     practices of other foreign governments, including non-market 
     economies, in the Caribbean that harm national and regional 
     interests in the Western Hemisphere;
       Whereas climate change and natural disasters pose acute 
     risks for Caribbean people and island economies; and
       Whereas the United States signed a Trade and Investment 
     Framework Agreement in

[[Page H5950]]

     2013 with CARICOM to drive strengthened trade and investment 
     ties between CARICOM and the United States: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) urges the President to prioritize and implement trade 
     programs with the Caribbean region that promote sustainable 
     and resilient economic development;
       (2) commits to engaging directly with diverse stakeholders 
     from the Caribbean, including CARICOM Trade Ministers, 
     policymakers, as well as labor, business, and civil society 
     representatives, to dialogue and develop a shared 
     multilateral trade agenda;
       (3) affirms trade and tariff preference programs that 
     strengthen the economic relationship between the Caribbean 
     and the United States and produce economic benefits for 
     people of all racial, ethnic, gender, ability, economic, 
     linguistic, and religious backgrounds;
       (4) encourages further enhancing trade programs between the 
     Caribbean and the United States; and
       (5) supports critical trade policies and preference 
     programs, such as HELP and HOPE II, and further commits to 
     strengthen those policies to ensure they advance sustainable 
     economic development, produce positive economic benefits in 
     Haiti, the Caribbean, and the United States, and protect our 
     most vulnerable communities.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Smith) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands.


                             General Leave

  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me begin by commending my colleagues on both sides 
of the aisle, Representatives Wenstrup, Sewell, and Blumenauer, and 
indeed the membership of the Ways and Means Committee collectively, for 
joining me in support of U.S. trade and economic relations with our 
Caribbean neighbors.
  This resolution is the product of a year's worth of work, and today 
would not be possible without the bipartisan support of my colleagues 
from across the aisle, particularly Representative Wenstrup, and his 
leadership, and our shared commitment to a focus on U.S. trade 
engagement with the Caribbean.
  This resolution commits to enhance the economic partnership between 
the United States and the Caribbean region through strengthened trade 
engagement, including by promoting economic growth and development 
across the region, engaging directly with diverse stakeholders from the 
Caribbean, and supporting critical trade policies and preference 
programs.
  The Caribbean, along with Latin America, has experienced significant 
challenges in recent years. According to the International Monetary 
Fund, IMF, we have seen a larger GDP contraction from the region than 
any other place in the world. Simultaneously, per capita deaths from 
COVID have been greater from the Caribbean and Latin America than any 
other region in the world. Furthermore, many of the islands and 
countries in the Caribbean have also experienced severe natural 
disasters, such as the recent earthquake in Haiti and numerous other 
extreme weather events like hurricanes.
  So this resolution simply expresses support for furthering U.S. trade 
ties and economic relations with the Caribbean region. Overall, the 
resolution expresses the importance of the existing economic 
partnerships between the United States and the Caribbean region and 
strengthening U.S. trade and investment ties with the region.
  Presently, the U.S. does about $35 billion in trade with the region, 
and American businesses can have a greater opportunity to grow in the 
region with our help.
  Deepening economic ties between the U.S. and the Caribbean region 
helps American partnerships across the Western Hemisphere, where we 
support budding democracies at our doorstep and create mutually 
beneficial economic stability with our neighbors. Reciprocal trade is 
one of the mechanisms we pursue to do that.
  Our overall trade agenda was well served by agreements like the 2013 
Trade and Investment Framework Agreement between the U.S. and the 
Caribbean Community, CARICOM, as well as important trade promotion 
programs like the U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act and the 
HOPE/HELP trade preference programs for Haiti.
  The Ways and Means Committee will be taking a hard look at what is 
needed for the Caribbean. As this resolution provides, we will engage 
with diverse stakeholders, including CARICOM trade ministers, 
policymakers, as well as labor, business, and civil society 
representatives, to dialogue and develop a shared multilateral trade 
agenda.
  The trade programs that we have for the Caribbean, especially the 
Caribbean Basin Initiative programs like CBTPA preference programs, 
along with HOPE/HELP for Haiti, have historically enjoyed bipartisan 
and bicameral support, in part because of the shared history and close 
ties that the United States has with the Caribbean region.
  I am pleased that this resolution also indicates how important the 
HOPE/HELP trade promotion program is for our sister nation of Haiti. I 
am committed to strengthening and renewing this program in a timely 
fashion.
  Like any good trading relationship, we must continue to work to 
improve labor conditions, political stability, and especially to expand 
economic development to all countries in the important region of the 
Caribbean.
  President Bush recognized the importance of this region by naming it 
as our ``Third Border.''
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. The 
month of June was Caribbean American Heritage Month. There are about 13 
million Americans who have Caribbean ancestry here in this country. 
They represent 4 percent of the American population. This is an 
opportunity for us to reaffirm this community and demonstrate to our 
neighboring nations in the Caribbean that we are committed to working 
together to improve trade and economic conditions.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1168.
  I thank Dr. Wenstrup and Representative Plaskett for their work on 
this bipartisan resolution. This measure affirms the importance of U.S. 
economic partnerships in the Western Hemisphere and, more specifically, 
with nations in the Caribbean region.
  Over the last two decades, economic partnerships and trade programs 
have created job opportunities for Caribbean workers and innovators, 
provided incentives for nations to strengthen the rule of law, and 
provided new market opportunities for American businesses.
  While this resolution highlights the importance of existing trade 
programs in the region, it also encourages further enhancements to 
these trade programs.
  I have said it before, and I will say it again: If we are not 
proactive in engaging with our trading partners in the region and 
around the world, others who do not share our values, our respect for 
economic freedom and the rule of law, or our interest in regional 
stability and growth, will.

  By engaging and fostering trade with our Caribbean neighbors, we will 
strengthen and make the Western Hemisphere more competitive as a region 
as China tries to seize even more of the global market share.
  I look forward to working with the sponsors to use trade as a key 
tool in strengthening the region.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska for his words, and I 
indeed recognize with him the importance of American engagement in the 
region. As Americans, this is our border. We must be engaged in the 
region so that others do not usurp our authority, our position in the 
region, and so our American businesses can grow as well. Economic 
development in this area is in the best interest of the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H5951]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1168, as 
amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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