[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 199 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9753-S9755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     
     
     REAFFIRMING THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE DOMINICAN 
                                     REPUBLIC
     
       Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senate 
     proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 602, S. Res. 
     472.
       The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
       The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
     
            A resolution (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.
     
       There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
     resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations, with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause 
     and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
     
                                   S. Res. 472
     
            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
     
     [[Page S9754]]
     
          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) encourages the Government of the Dominican Republic to 
          partner with the United States to catalyze the creation of 
          the Organization of American States (OAS) Parliamentary 
          Assembly to facilitate legislative cooperation;
            (5) 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;
            (6) commends efforts by President Abinader to strengthen 
          the political independence of the Attorney General's Office 
          and institutionalize anti-corruption reforms; and
            (7) 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.
     
       Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I further ask that the committee-reported 
     substitute amendment to the resolution be withdrawn; the Menendez 
     substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to; the resolution, as 
     amended, be agreed to; the preamble be agreed to; and the motions to 
     reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
     intervening action or debate.
       The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
       The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was 
     withdrawn.
       The amendment (No. 6614) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to 
     as follows:
     
                     (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)
     
                                   S. Res. 472
     
             Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
          following: ``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 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
            (E) 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) encourages the Government of the Dominican Republic to 
          partner with the United States to catalyze the creation of 
          the Organization of American States (OAS) Parliamentary 
          Assembly to facilitate legislative cooperation;
            (5) 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;
            (6) commends efforts by President Abinader to strengthen 
          the political independence of the Attorney General's Office 
          and institutionalize anti-corruption reforms; and
            (7) 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.
     
       The resolution (S. Res. 472), as amended, was agreed to.
       The preamble was agreed to.
       The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, reads as follows:
     
                                   S. Res. 472
     
            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
     
     [[Page S9755]]
     
          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 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
            (E) 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) encourages the Government of the Dominican Republic to 
          partner with the United States to catalyze the creation of 
          the Organization of American States (OAS) Parliamentary 
          Assembly to facilitate legislative cooperation;
            (5) 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;
            (6) commends efforts by President Abinader to strengthen 
          the political independence of the Attorney General's Office 
          and institutionalize anti-corruption reforms; and
            (7) 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.
     
                               ____________________