releases: http://jeffduncan.house.gov/press-release/duncan-holds-year-end-hearing-us-policy-western-hemisphere
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| http://jeffduncan.house.gov/press-release/duncan-holds-year-end-hearing-us-policy-western-hemisphere | Duncan Holds Year-End Hearing on U.S. Policy in the Western Hemisphere | 2015-12-10 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | SC | Jeffrey Duncan | D000615 | jeffduncan.house.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. Yesterday, U.S. Congressman Jeff Duncan (R-SC-03), Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, delivered the following statement at the Subcommittees 16th hearing entitled, Year in Review: U.S. Policy Toward a Changing Western Hemisphere. This year, we have seen many changes in the Western Hemisphere. Economic and security factors, migration, natural disasters, and deepening ties with Iran, China, and Russia have greatly impacted the region. Elections in multiple countries have shifted governments and political power. The Organization of American States (OAS) has a new Secretary-General who has affirmed a commitment to revitalizing the organization, and his public statements related to Venezuela have underscored that commitment. Panama hosted the Seventh Summit of the Americas with the inclusion of Cuba for the first time, and the United States began its two-year Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. Furthermore, Colombia has made progress in its peace talks with the FARC, and both houses of its legislature voted this month to approve a proposal for a referendum on an eventual peace deal. In Brazil, economic woes continue, and impeachment proceedings against a sitting president have begun. Moreover, crime and violence in the region have also risen with ever proliferating networks of transnational criminal organizations. This year, Latin America also experienced its worst economic performance since 2009. The purpose of todays hearing is to examine the Obama Administrations policies and programs in the Western Hemisphere to assess their impact and to consider the progress of countries in the region in furthering democracy and freedom of religion and the press; strengthening rule of law and judicial institutions, growing economic prosperity, and providing a safer and more secure region. This Subcommittee has held 16 hearings this year to provide oversight of the Obama Administrations efforts in the hemisphere and bring public awareness to key developments in the region. Of the hearings this Subcommittee has held this year, two have focused on budgetary issues and the $1 billion request for Central America; two have examined the energy opportunities in the Western Hemisphere, focusing on Canada and Mexico in particular; three highlighted the challenges to press freedoms, religious liberties, and human rights abuses in Cuba and Venezuela; two focused on the U.S.-Cuba policy shift and impact to U.S. citizens in national security and the unresolved property claims issue; and one explored the opportunities the United States has on Arctic issues in the region. In January, the death of AMIA Special Prosecutor Alberto Nisman in Argentina raised questions about Irans networks in the region and the Kirchner governments relationship with Iran and Venezuela. This Subcommittee has maintained a focus on Iran and Hezbollahs activities in the region and expanded our oversight to include hearings on China and Russias growing presence as well. Whereas these countries have shown great attention to the Western Hemisphere, the Obama Administrations own response has been minimal. With the exception of altering the U.S. relationship with Cuba without requiring any substantive changes from the Castro government in return, a tactical response to the migration crisis in Central America, and an emphasis on LGBTI and climate change initiatives, the Obama Administration has shown little strategic vision for U.S. leadership and has failed to make an effective case for why countries in the region should make the United States their partner of choice. In my view, the United States should be prioritizing relations with democratic, free countries in the region instead of capitulating to leftist governments in Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Brazil. Rather than rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline with Canada, limiting U.S. economic potential, and ignoring important security dimensions in the U.S. relationship with Mexico, the United States should recognize that North Americas greatest potential lies with even stronger U.S. relations with Canada and Mexico. In Central America, we have seen no changes in the root causes of migration to the United States, and I remain concerned with the high levels of migrant flows we have seen within the last few months into Mexico from Central America and at the U.S. Southern border. A $1 billion request from the Obama Administration will not solve these problems without active U.S. leadership and tight oversight of U.S. taxpayer dollars, real and measurable political will from the countries themselves to address rampant corruption, and strong and independent national institutions that are transparent and accountable to the people. In addition, I believe we are missing opportunities to create stronger partnerships on trade and energy issues in the hemisphere. In particular, we ought to consider ways to more highly prioritize U.S. relations with the Pacific Alliance countries of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, which reportedly represent 36 percent of Latin Americas economy, 50 percent of its international trade, and 41 percent of all incoming foreign direct investment. In addition, energy cooperation in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America should be more foundational for U.S. policy and underscore our efforts in the region. With the Western Hemisphere home to nearly a third of the worlds oil; U.S. reserves of oil, natural gas, shale gas resources; and growing investment opportunities for U.S. businesses in multiple countries in the region, energy is a positive area of cooperation that we simply have not explored enough. Indeed, with this years elections in the hemisphere, I am hopeful that we will see greater economic and security partnerships between the United States and many more countries. Long-time ruling parties were kicked out in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and St. Kitts and Nevis. Mexico saw several surprise victories from independent and non-party candidates in its June legislative and local elections, Guatemala saw a rare victory against corruption with the unseating of a sitting president and resignation of a vice president and the election of a political outsider as president in October who promised to clean up corruption. After years of delay and extended political crisis, Haiti has held two rounds of elections this year with a final round scheduled for later this month. Even our best partner on trade and energy issues, Canada, saw the turning out of the incumbent government after several years of consecutive leadership. With the results of center-right Mauricio Macris victory in Argentina last month in the first-ever runoff election in Argentinas history, I am excited about the possibilities of improved bilateral relations and greater Argentine leadership in the hemisphere. In addition, this past weekends elections in Venezuela marked an important turning point for that country with the oppositions landslide victory over Chavismo. Our Subcommittee began this year by engaging with regional Caribbean leaders over the issue of finding better ways to partner on energy issues and looking at how our own energy boom in the United States can benefit our friends who have historically depended on Venezuela to meet their energy needs. Next year, I look forward to deepening U.S. engagement in the region, maintaining our attention on Iran, China, and Russias actions in the hemisphere, and particularly focusing on energy, business and trade opportunities, terrorism and border security threats, and counter-drug efforts in the region. As we take time today to assess the Obama Administrations approach to the Western Hemisphere and the status of specific countries in the region, I look forward to using the perspectives shared here today by our panel of witnesses in order to help shape and sharpen U.S. engagement in the region next year. With that, I turn to Ranking Member Sires for any opening statement he would like to make. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |