Will President Obama Make The United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act Law?

President Obama visited Jamaica on April 8, 2015 but did not respond to a request to pardon the late Hon. Marcus Garvey.

By NAN Contributor

News Americas, WASHINGTON, D.C., Thurs. Dec. 15, 2016: The onus is now on President Obama to make The United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act (H.R. 4939) law, an act that could be beneficial to the Caribbean ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.

The Act, which was co-sponsored by Representative Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), a former Chair of the Committee, passed the Senate this week after the House passed it in June and now needs Obama’s signature to make it law.

H.R. 4939 calls for a new, long-term strategy to strengthen ties between the United States and its Caribbean neighbors. It will strengthen relations with the Caribbean by requiring the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to submit to Congress a multiyear strategy focused on enhancing engagement with the countries of the Caribbean. The legislation puts particular emphasis on energy security, countering violence, expanding diplomacy and providing educational exchange opportunities for citizens of the Caribbean.

“At a time when our friends in the Caribbean need us more than ever, this bill will prioritize our partnership with the sub-region for many years to come,” said Rep. Engel. “It is long past time to have a multi-year strategy that will allow us to increase engagement with the Caribbean, especially when it comes to energy and security.  The countries of the Caribbean are profoundly important to the United States, and particularly to the many Caribbean-American citizens in our country. I look forward to working with the Caribbean-American diaspora to ensure that they can provide input to the State Department and USAID on U.S. relations with the Caribbean in the years ahead. With constant crises around the globe that demand U.S. attention, we must not lose sight of our long-term interests close to home.”

“I am honored to work alongside my friend and colleague Eliot Engel in order to send this important legislation aimed at prioritizing our bilateral relationships with allies in the Caribbean to the President’s desk,” said Rep. Ros-Lehtinen. “We must strengthen our relationship with Caribbean nations so that they view the U.S. as a reliable partner and push back against the negative influence of Maduro’s corrupt regime in the region. It is vital to work proactively and collaboratively with Caribbean nations to promote close cooperation in the areas of security, trade, illicit trafficking, and energy and I look forward to seeing this important legislation implemented in order to advance our own national security interests.”