Sec. 3. Sense of Congress
454 words·~2 min read·
/bill/116/hr/8716/ih/section-3·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— the United States shares extensive economic and commercial relations, democratic values, cultural ties, and geographic proximity with the nations of the Western Hemisphere; increased United States engagement with countries in the Western Hemisphere is essential to addressing initiatives by rival powers, such as China, to increase their presence and influence over governments in Latin American and the Caribbean at the expense of strategic economic and security interests of the United States; the United States is uniquely positioned to promote the rule of law and support the strengthening of democratic institutions and individual freedoms in Latin America and the Caribbean, while improving the quality of life of citizens throughout the Western Hemisphere;
China’s growing presence in the Western Hemisphere— has contributed to the survival of autocratic and anti-democratic regimes, such as the Maduro regime and the Government of Cuba, by acting as a lender of last resort and providing other forms of economic support; has assisted such regimes in undermining democratic norms through weapons sales and the proliferation of surveillance technology; and has provided governments with the resources to implement irresponsible economic policies to the detriment of its citizens; and the United States Government should continue to assert a positive presence in the Western Hemisphere based upon— supporting the rule of law, combating corruption, and advancing digital security as a means to improve prospects for regional growth and development and mitigate the unfair advantage accrued to those that engage in unfair and illegal practices; facilitating technical assistance and knowledge-sharing programs that strengthen regional governments’ and businesses’ capacity for engaging in sound negotiations and contracts, protect their economic interests, and protect the economic interests of their citizens; engaging in development investments that strengthen United States public and private sector ties to Western Hemisphere governments and businesses, promote shared conviction that open markets and fair competition are critical to sustained economic growth, enhance regional businesses’ ability to move up the value chain, and are environmentally sustainable; raising awareness regarding how the proliferation of Chinese economic largesse and the increased adoption of Chinese surveillance technology can harm Western Hemisphere economies and undermine democratic institutions; empowering local and international media and civil society to carefully monitor investment activity in Latin America and the Caribbean to ensure accountability and uncover the malign effects of greater Chinese engagement, including a lack of transparency, facilitation of corruption, unsustainable debt, environmental damage, opaque labor and business practices of Chinese firms, and the increased likelihood of projects that leave host countries in unsustainable debt; and promoting greater economic engagement between the United States and other countries of the Western Hemisphere to spur economic development in the region and increase economic opportunities for the United States private sector.