{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=BBE19A87-7E7E-44EE-ADB7-DFF81CC1CA37", "Senate Passes Boozman, Durbin, Shaheen, Coons, Cassidy Bill to Increase U.S. Exports to Africa and Latin America in NDAA", "2023-07-28", "2023", "2023-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "John Boozman", "B001236", "www.boozman.senate.gov", "boozman", "https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) applauded Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation to improve America\u2019s competitiveness throughout the African continent and in Latin America and the Caribbean. Included in the Senate version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Increasing American Jobs through Greater Exports to Africa Act will force better coordination between U.S. government agencies and departments, establish comprehensive strategic goals, and marshal private investments to expand U.S. exports to Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, serving America\u2019s own economic benefit while simultaneously combating the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s push to exert more authority in these regions.\n\nThe measure will help create American jobs by requiring a whole-of-government strategy to increase the number of U.S. exports to Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean by at least 200 percent in real dollar value within 10 years of enactment of the law.\n\n\u201cOur national security only benefits from fostering an effective trade strategy with African and Latin American nations, particularly at a time when China is going to great lengths to expand its self-serving influence and undermine U.S. strategic partnerships. I\u2019m pleased our comprehensive approach to counter this nefarious behavior and increase the flow of American products and ideals are being included as part of our country\u2019s defense policy and I look forward to further progress on this important issue,\u201d Boozman said.\n\n\u201cDespite the strong demand for American products, our global competitors, particularly China, have been busy building markets on the African continent and with our neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean. We cannot let the U.S. get left behind,\u201d Durbin said. \u201cI\u2019m encouraged by the Senate\u2019s move to pass our bipartisan bill as a provision in the NDAA. Once enacted, it will help American businesses create jobs at home, and ensure America continues to be seen as a leader in rapidly growing parts of the world. I\u2019ll be working to ensure it is included in the final conferenced version of the NDAA.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfrica, Latin America and the Caribbean are important trading partners for the U.S. \u2013 not just to advance mutually strategic relationships, but also to ensure we remain competitive in growing markets against global adversaries like the People\u2019s Republic of China. We need a comprehensive approach to solidify U.S. economic leadership and ensure an alternative to the People\u2019s Republic of China\u2019s manipulative trade practices for our neighbors abroad,\u201d said Shaheen. \u201cThis bill will do just that while creating jobs for American workers and securing America\u2019s presence on the global stage.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe need a stronger strategy for increasing U.S. exports to rapidly growing markets that will advance our leadership and create growth opportunities for U.S. businesses. By facilitating exports of U.S. goods and services to emerging markets, the Increasing American Jobs through Greater Exports to Africa Act will bring us closer to these important regions and ensure that United States businesses can better compete with China in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean,\u201d said Coons. \u201cI am glad this bipartisan bill was included in the NDAA package and that we are supporting export-driven jobs and industries in Delaware while strengthening developing economies.\u201d\n\nThe tools available to the United States to compete competitively in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean are scattered, difficult for businesses to access and not effectively coordinated. The Increasing American Jobs through Greater Exports to Africa Act will harmonize the U.S. government\u2019s focus on increasing exports to Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean by making the following improvements:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:25:20Z"]], "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://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=BBE19A87-7E7E-44EE-ADB7-DFF81CC1CA37"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.721732947975397, "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"}