Reaffirming the importance of the United States relationship with the Dominican Republic.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 733 Reaffirming the importance of the United States relationship with the Dominican Republic. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 22, 2019 Mr. ESPAILLAT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Reaffirming the importance of the United States relationship with the Dominican Republic. Whereas the Dominican Republic is a crucial partner to the United States in hemispheric affairs, which includes bi- lateral trade, diplomacy, tourism, and security coopera- tion, and it is vital to not only maintain but also continue to foster this strong and special relationship; Whereas the strength of the relationship between the United States and the Dominican Republic is rooted in political, economic, and cultural ties which have continuously so- lidified since the Dominican Republic first gained inde- pendence in 1844; Whereas, as the first major wave of Dominican migrants to the United States began in the 1960s and has continued throughout the decades since, there are over 2 million VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:45 Nov 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR733.IH HR733 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HRES 733 IH people of Dominican descent who now live in the United States, currently making the Dominican-American com- munity the fifth-largest Hispanic group in the United States; Whereas support between the nations is reciprocal, and the United States is committed to its continued support, both in words and actions, to the Dominican Republic’s demo- cratic and economic development; Whereas the United States greatly benefits from all the valu- able contributions made by the Dominican community and Dominican culture, literature, music, and dance, and in sports; Whereas the sport of baseball, commonly known as ‘‘Amer- ica’s favorite pastime’’, is a major source of pride and cultural identity for the Dominican Republic, and as one of the most significant contributors to Major League Baseball, Dominicans not only currently represent 11.6 percent of all MLB starters, but also represent some of the greatest players of all time, including Hall-of-Famers Juan Marichal, Pedro Martinez, and Vladimir Guerrero; Whereas the Dominican Republic is the largest economy in both the Caribbean and Central America region, and the United States is the Dominican Republic’s largest trade partner; Whereas one of the top contributing factors to the Dominican Republic’s economy is remittances, most of which origi- nate from the United States, accounting for 77.4 percent of the remittances the Dominican Republic received in 2018; Whereas one of the greatest examples of both nations’ strong commitment is the CAFTA–DR trade agreement, result- VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:19 Nov 25, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR733.IH HR733 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HRES 733 IH ing in stronger trade and investment ties, which has also strengthened the relationship and furthered the economic prosperity of both countries; Whereas the highest and lowest elevations in the West Indies are found within the Dominican Republic’s major moun- tain ranges and the fertile valleys which contribute to the country’s agricultural export sector; Whereas in addition to trade potential, the Dominican Re- public’s mountain terrain, along with its beautiful beach- es and other geographically unique landscapes, creates significant tourism potential; Whereas tourism is one of the most important sectors in the Dominican Republic’s economy, and Americans account for over 30 percent of international travelers visiting the country, comprising 2 million of the 6.6 million who vis- ited in 2018; Whereas Americans can continue to safely enjoy all that the Dominican Republic has to offer, as the country has an- nounced new safety measures, including thousands more tourist agents, national police, and public security cam- eras; and Whereas the Dominican Republic has also entered into a partnership with United States-based Ecolab, which will provide training and certification to all Department of Tourism Services and Companies inspectors: Now, there- fore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep- 1 resentatives that— 2 (1) under the umbrella of the congressionally 3 approved bipartisan and bicameral Friends of the 4 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:19 Nov 25, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR733.IH HR733 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HRES 733 IH Dominican Republic Caucus, the United States Con- 1 gress shall continue its focus on strengthening the 2 relationship between the United States and the Do- 3 minican Republic; 4 (2) relations between the United States and the 5 Dominican Republic have led to expanded economic 6 prosperity, shared cultures, and increased regional 7 stability; 8 (3) the Dominican Republic is a safe, reliable, 9 and hospitable tourist destination that travelers 10 from the United States and countries around the 11 world can enjoy without concern; and 12 (4) the United States and the Dominican Re- 13 public are committed to a continued partnership, 14 further economic prosperity, and enhanced security 15 and stability in the region. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:45 Nov 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR733.IH HR733 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS