[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 112 (Monday, July 8, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H4461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           EL SALVADOR CAUCUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Gaetz) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to notify the House of the creation of 
the Congressional El Salvador Caucus for which I will serve as chairman 
and for which I have appointed the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vicente 
Gonzalez) to serve as the bipartisan co-chairman.
  Congressman Gonzalez has extensive relationships and insights drawn 
from his time in El Salvador and throughout Latin America, and 
undeniably, that will assist in leading the caucus.
  Mr. Speaker, El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, has converted El 
Salvador from the murder capital of the world into a reliable and 
stable partner for peace and security for the United States of America.
  The Congressional El Salvador Caucus will exist to nurture and 
advance the U.S.-El Salvador relationship, to encourage strong borders, 
strong culture, and the strong reforms that President Bukele has put 
into effect.
  They have defeated the gangs. They have put prosperity on the march 
in El Salvador. Even the 70,000 people who are incarcerated in that 
country are not just seeing their lives wasted away.
  President Bukele has instituted a zero-leisure policy where they are 
now restoring buildings and murals and actually rebuilding the country 
that so many of them have a hand in ravaging through gang warfare.
  The purpose of this caucus will be to vindicate the choices that 
President Bukele has made that, indeed, strengthen the U.S.-El Salvador 
relationship.
  El Salvador's resurgence has not existed as a consequence of falling 
for the siren song of globalism. Instead, President Bukele believes 
that the way El Salvador can lead within Central America and, indeed, 
throughout the West, is by being the best version of itself; not being 
excessively reliant on some of these globalist institutions.
  President Bukele has delivered instant justice to the satanic gangs 
and the endemic political corruption, but, in fact, no good deed goes 
unpunished.
  Too often, our own government and even some Members of this Congress 
mount attack after attack on El Salvador and President Bukele, 
presumably because the comeback that El Salvador is having is a living, 
breathing indictment of other failed ideologies.
  Through the inspiration from El Salvador's astonishing 
transformation, the great American rejuvenation can become a reality as 
well, so that we can experience a triumphant return of safety and 
prosperity that we once inspired in others.

  I invite my colleagues in the House and Senate to contact our office. 
We would love to have them as Members of the Congressional El Salvador 
Caucus as we strengthen the U.S.-El Salvador relationship and as we 
work to amplify some of the good decisions that are being made by 
President Bukele and his government. We hope that these good ideas have 
legs and can travel and can be copied and implemented for a more stable 
world.

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