{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/senator-scott-slams-biden-for-weak-global-leadership-allowing-south-africa-to-host-the-agoa-forum/", "Senator Scott Slams Biden for Weak Global Leadership, Allowing South Africa to Host the AGOA Forum", "2023-11-02", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Tim Scott", "S001184", "www.scott.senate.gov", "timscott", "https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/jsf/jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 As the annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum begins in Johannesburg, Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and member of the Senate Finance Committee, slammed President Biden for allowing the forum to take place in South Africa, considering the government\u2019s recent actions that undermine U.S. national security.\n\n\u201cSouth Africa has harbored sanctioned Russian ships, expanded relations with Iran and issued statements against Israel\u2019s right to defend itself following Hamas\u2019s recent terror attacks,\u201d said Senator Tim Scott. \u201cPresident Biden\u2019s willingness to allow the AGOA Forum to remain in South Africa following these egregious actions illustrates his glaringly weak leadership and undermines our nation\u2019s strategic interests around the globe.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nThe African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has headlined U.S. economic engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa for more than twenty years. To participate in the program, African partners must meet certain eligibility requirements, including a willingness to \u201cnot engage in activities that undermine United States national security or foreign policy interests,\u201d according to Section 104 of the AGOA statute (P.L. 106-200, as amended).\n\nDespite its status as the greatest AGOA participant, the government of South Africa has engaged in recent behavior\u2014including expanding its relations with Iran as the regime\u2019s proxies attack U.S. personnel and Israel\u2014that undermines U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. In addition to allowing the forum to move forward in Johannesburg, this week, the White House released its 2024 AGOA eligibility determinations that indicate South Africa will retain full AGOA benefits without so much as receiving a demarche.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:49:58Z"]], "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.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/senator-scott-slams-biden-for-weak-global-leadership-allowing-south-africa-to-host-the-agoa-forum/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7491270080208778, "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"}