{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://espaillat.house.gov/media/press-releases/espaillat-salazar-lead-congressional-effort-urging-administration-finalize-us", "Espaillat, Salazar Lead Congressional Effort Urging Administration to Finalize US-DR Open Skies Agreement", "2023-12-07", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "NY", "Adriano Espaillat", "E000297", "espaillat.house.gov", "espaillat", "https://espaillat.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, members of the Congressional Friends of the Dominican Republic Caucus, led by Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and Co-Chair Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar (R-FL), sent a letter to the Biden Administration expressing their support for the ongoing negotiations and swift finalization for a modernized United States\u2014Dominican Republic (US-DR) Open Skies Agreement. In their letter, Espaillat and Salazar highlighted potential benefits of a modernized agreement that would increase flights and flight routes between the U.S. and Dominican Republic, lower airfare costs for travelers, and increase tourism and economic growth for both nations.\n\n\u201cWe write on behalf of our numerous Dominican American constituents who have been waiting for years for a modernized US-DR Open Skies Agreement that would benefit both countries and enhance our bilateral relationship,\u201d said Rep. Adriano Espaillat. \u201cOur constituents have regularly expressed their frustration with the current state of limited flight routes and exorbitant prices on flights from the United States to the Dominican Republic, which often prevent them from traveling to visit their family and loved ones. A modernized Open Skies Agreement would provide new flight options, lower fares, and better service among more airlines in the market, supporting the booming tourism economy and the deserving Dominican American families who wish to travel to and from their nation of origin. In turn, our letter respectfully requests that the administration continue to prioritize this important agreement\u2019s finalization on behalf of our constituents and their families.\u201d\n\n\u201cHigh airfare prices and limited flights are making it difficult for the thousands of Dominican Americans who call Miami home to visit their families in the Dominican Republic,\u201d said Rep. Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar. \u201cAs co-chair of the Friends of the Dominican Republic Caucus, I am proud to join my colleagues in urging the Biden Administration to expand opportunities to increase flights and lower airfare prices by finalizing a modern Open Skies agreement with the Dominican Republic.\u201d\n\nRepresentatives Espaillat and Salazar were joined in the letter by fellow Caucus Members Jenniffer Gonz\u00e1lez-Col\u00f3n (R-PR), Grace Meng (D-NY), and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL).\n\nThe full letter can be read here.\n\n# # #\n\nRepresentative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fourth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government\u2019s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 118th Congress. He is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Rep. Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.\n\nMedia inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://espaillat.house.gov/media/press-releases/espaillat-salazar-lead-congressional-effort-urging-administration-finalize-us"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7156749963760376, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}