III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 472 

Reaffirming the partnership between the United States and the Dominican 

Republic and advancing opportunities to deepen diplomatic, economic, 

and security cooperation between the two nations. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 7, 2021 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. CASSIDY, and Mr. 

KAINE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Relations 

DECEMBER 7, 2022 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment 

DECEMBER 21, 2022 

Considered, amended, and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Reaffirming the partnership between the United States and 

the Dominican Republic and advancing opportunities to 

deepen diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation 

between the two nations. 

Whereas the United States and the Dominican Republic 

share extensive economic, security, and cultural ties and 

a mutual commitment to the promotion of internationally 

recognized human rights, democratic values, and the rule 

of law; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2 

SRES 472 ATS 

Whereas the bilateral relationship between the United States 

and the Dominican Republic has contributed to the economic prosperity and national security of both countries, 

including through the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement and the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative; 

Whereas under the leadership of President Luis Abinader, 

who took office on August 16, 2020, the Government of 

the Dominican Republic has taken steps to effectively address the COVID–19 pandemic, fully vaccinating over 60 

percent of its adult population, one of the highest vaccination rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 

acquiring sufficient surplus vaccines to provide donations 

to other countries in the region; 

Whereas in response to the COVID–19 pandemic, the Government of the Dominican Republic has committed to 

working with the United States, other Group of 7 countries, the International Monetary Fund, and the InterAmerican Development Bank to advance global and regional post-pandemic economic recovery efforts; 

Whereas in 2020, United States foreign direct investment in 

the Dominican Republic totaled $274,500,000, and remittances from the United States accounted for approximately 78 percent of the over $8,000,000,000 in remittances sent to the Dominican Republic, according to data 

from the Congressional Research Service and World 

Bank, respectively; 

Whereas, on September 30, 2021, President Abinader signed 

presidential decree 612–21, creating a ministerial task 

force to advance nearshoring initiatives and strengthen 

the Dominican Republic’s participation in international 

supply chains and role as an industrial, manufacturing, 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3 

SRES 472 ATS 

and logistical hub, including by expanding the country’s 

network of free trade zones; 

Whereas the United States and the Dominican Republic 

would benefit from a coordinated plan of action to bolster 

economic relations, realign supply chains, and expand ties 

between the private sectors in both countries; 

Whereas the Government of the United States has engaged 

with the Dominican Republic and other regional partners 

to address the United States serious concerns over the 

security, human rights, and data privacy risks associated 

with investments by the People’s Republic of China in 

telecommunication networks and other critical infrastructure; 

Whereas the Government of the Dominican Republic has 

committed to strengthening security cooperation with the 

United States to address the threats posed by 

transnational criminal organizations and human trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering networks; 

Whereas a humanitarian crisis, rampant crime, gang violence, 

and instability in neighboring Haiti, a situation exacerbated by the July 7, 2021, assassination of President 

Jovenel Moise, has deepened the suffering of the Haitian 

people, increased risks to the Dominican Republic posed 

by organized criminal groups along its borders, and 

strained the economic capacity of the Government of the 

Dominican Republic to address the humanitarian needs 

of Haitian migrants; 

Whereas President Abinader has taken significant steps to 

make the Government of the Dominican Republic more 

accountable and effective, including by addressing corruption and impunity, appointing an independent Public 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4 

SRES 472 ATS 

Prosecutor, requiring additional transparency in public 

procurement, and proposing legislation to modernize 

asset forfeiture laws; 

Whereas, on October 20, 2021, the Governments of the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Panama signed a joint 

declaration expressing concern about irregular migration 

flows, climate change, post-COVID–19 economic recovery, the deteriorating human rights situation in Nicaragua, and the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, and called 

for stronger cooperation on these issues from the United 

States, regional partners, and the international community; 

Whereas the Government of the Dominican Republic, as host 

of the Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week 2021, 

has called for greater regional coordination to address the 

effects of climate change, including more extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, environmental displacement, 

and adverse health effects, which Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean are disproportionately vulnerable to; 

Whereas the Government of the Dominican Republic has 

called for the peaceful restoration of democracy and rule 

of law in Venezuela and is hosting approximately 114,000 

Venezuelan refugees; and 

Whereas approximately 2,000,000 people of Dominican origin 

currently reside in the United States, and over 2,000,000 

United States tourists visit the Dominican Republic annually, accounting for the largest number of foreign tourists to the country and bolstering its economically critical 

tourism sector: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
5 

SRES 472 ATS 

1 (1) reaffirms its commitment to strengthening 

2 the historic partnership between the United States 

3 and the Dominican Republic based on shared demo4 cratic values and efforts to advance economic pros5 perity and national security; 

6 (2) encourages continued actions by the Gov7 ernment of the Dominican Republic to assume a re8 gional leadership role in promoting human rights, 

9 democratic values, and humanitarian assistance; 

10 (3) calls for further steps to strengthen co11 operation between the Governments of the United 

12 States and the Dominican Republic on issues of 

13 shared strategic interest, including— 

14 (A) by assisting the Dominican Republic in 

15 its post-COVID–19 economic recovery, includ16 ing through support for United States and glob17 al initiatives that help developing countries re18 cover financial sustainability and attain equi19 table access to international financial markets; 

20 (B) by developing and implementing 

21 nearshoring initiatives in the Caribbean Basin 

22 to realign international supply chains and 

23 strengthen the Dominican Republic’s standing 

24 as a significant industrial, manufacturing, and 

25 logistical hub, including through cooperation on 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
6 

SRES 472 ATS 

1 infrastructure development such as ports, power 

2 grids, and at free trade zones; 

3 (C) facilitating the expansion of economic 

4 and commercial ties, including by prioritizing 

5 bilateral development project financing and the 

6 formation of a United States-Dominican Repub7 lic Business Council; 

8 (D) by improving security cooperation be9 tween the two countries, including in addressing 

10 narcotics and human trafficking, dismantling 

11 money laundering networks, and strengthening 

12 professional law enforcement and criminal jus13 tice institutions; and 

14 (E) by increasing cooperation with the Do15 minican Republic and other international part16 ners to promote stability in Haiti, address Hai17 ti’s humanitarian crisis, and facilitate political 

18 solutions supported by the Haitian people; 

19 (4) encourages the Government of the Domini20 can Republic to partner with the United States to 

21 catalyze the creation of the Organization of Amer22 ican States (OAS) Parliamentary Assembly to facili23 tate legislative cooperation; 

24 (5) urges the Government of the Dominican Re25 public to continue taking steps to address the inherVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:02 Dec 22, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR472.ATS SR472

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
7 

SRES 472 ATS 

1 ent human rights, security, and data privacy risks 

2 posed by reliance on technology from the People’s 

3 Republic of China, including Huawei components, in 

4 telecommunication networks; 

5 (6) commends efforts by President Abinader to 

6 strengthen the political independence of the Attorney 

7 General’s Office and institutionalize anti-corruption 

8 reforms; and 

9 (7) calls on the Department of State and the 

10 United States Agency for International Development 

11 to continue to support the efforts of the Government 

12 of the Dominican Republic to respond to the human13 itarian needs of Haitian migrants in the Dominican 

14 Republic. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB