[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 820. Mr. RISCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in subtitle A of title XII, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. 12__. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE HOST COUNTRY FOR 
                   THE 2023 AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT 
                   FORUM.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the African Growth and Opportunity Act Forum (referred 
     to in this section as the ``AGOA Forum''), which is required 
     to be held annually under section 5 of the African Growth and 
     Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3704), is an important opportunity 
     to foster close economic ties between the United States and 
     sub-Saharan Africa;
       (2) the country selected to host the 2023 AGOA Forum should 
     reflect optimal adherence to the eligibility requirements set 
     forth in section 104 (a)(2) of such Act (19 U.S.C. 
     3703(a)(2)) that the country ``not engage in activities that 
     undermine United States national security or foreign policy 
     interests'';
       (3) the recent actions of the Republic of South Africa in 
     contravention of United States national security and foreign 
     policy interests make that country an inappropriate venue for 
     the 2023 AGOA Forum; and
       (4) the President should identify an alternative venue for 
     the 2023 AGOA Forum that is consistent with the spirit and 
     member eligibility criteria of the African Growth and 
     Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.).
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