I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5491 

To establish United States embassies with consular services in the five countries in the Caribbean with which the United States has diplomatic 

relations but no permanent diplomatic presence: Antigua and Barbuda, 

Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the 

Grenadines. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014 

Mr. ENGEL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish United States embassies with consular services 

in the five countries in the Caribbean with which the 

United States has diplomatic relations but no permanent 

diplomatic presence: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, 

St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and 

the Grenadines. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States-Carib5 bean Partnership Act of 2014’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITION. 

2 In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com3 mittees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

4 House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 

5 Relations of the Senate. 

6 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) While often overlooked, the countries of the 

9 Caribbean are important United States partners. 

10 (2) United States-Caribbean cooperation on 

11 commerce, security, and energy must be deepened. 

12 (3) The countries of the Caribbean are key vot13 ing members of the Organization of American 

14 States. 

15 (4) There are five countries in the Caribbean 

16 with which the United States has diplomatic rela17 tions, but within which the United States does not 

18 have a permanent diplomatic presence. Those coun19 tries are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts 

20 and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Gren21 adines. 

22 (5) Diplomatic relations with these five coun23 tries are conducted through the United States Em24 bassy in Bridgetown, Barbados. 

25 (6) Due to the lack of presence of United 

26 States diplomats in these five countries, citizens of 


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1 these five countries are required to travel to Bar2 bados for all consular services. 

3 (7) Due to the lack of presence of United 

4 States diplomats in these five countries, in order to 

5 meet with local officials, civil society representatives, 

6 private sector leaders, United States citizens or oth7 ers, embassy officials must fly from Barbados to 

8 these countries on what are often expensive, some9 times infrequent flights and remain overnight in 

10 what are often expensive hotel rooms. 

11 (8) Due to the lack of presence of United 

12 States diplomats in these five countries, United 

13 States citizens living in and visiting these five coun14 tries do not have full consular services, and in the 

15 event of a consular emergency, air traffic could be 

16 shut off to any of these islands, in effect stranding 

17 United States citizens without full in-country con18 sular services. 

19 (9) Due to the lack of presence of United 

20 States diplomats in these five countries, key events, 

21 meetings, ceremonies, and other opportunities are 

22 often not attended by United States officials as they 

23 are in other countries where there is a permanent 

24 diplomatic presence. 


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1 (10) Due to the lack of presence of United 

2 States diplomats in these five countries, it is more 

3 difficult for United States diplomats to establish 

4 close working relationships with local officials, civil 

5 society representatives, and others. 

6 (11) Due to the lack of presence of United 

7 States diplomats in these five countries, United 

8 States official diplomatic interaction with these 

9 countries, including delivery of demarches and other 

10 diplomatic messages, which the Secretary of State 

11 sometimes requires embassy officials to personally 

12 deliver, particularly if of a confidential nature, is 

13 often relegated to telephone, facsimile, or email, dra14 matically reducing the ability of the United States to 

15 engage host governments in substantive dialogue. 

16 (12) Due to the lack of presence of United 

17 States diplomats in these five countries, it is more 

18 difficult for the United States to conduct public di19 plomacy in these five countries. 


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1 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITED STATES EMBASSIES 

2 WITH CONSULAR SERVICES IN ANTIGUA AND 

3 BARBUDA, DOMINICA, ST. KITTS AND NEVIS, 

4 ST. LUCIA, AND ST. VINCENT AND THE GREN5 ADINES. 

6 Not later than five years after the date of the enact7 ment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish 

8 United States embassies with consular services in Antigua 

9 and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, 

10 and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to— 

11 (1) provide consular services to citizens of these 

12 countries and United States citizens living in or 

13 traveling to these countries; and 

14 (2) engage in direct diplomacy with appropriate 

15 government counterparts in these countries. 

16 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

17 Not later than one year after the date of the enact18 ment of this Act and annually thereafter until the require19 ments under section 4 have been satisfied, the Secretary 

20 of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional 

21 committees a report on the progress made toward carrying 

22 out such section. 

23 SEC. 6. EXCEPTION FOR DELAY. 

24 The Secretary of State may delay for up to one year 

25 the carrying out of section 4 if the Secretary determines 

26 that more time is needed to carry out such section and 


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1 submits to the appropriate congressional committees a re2 port explaining the reason for such delay. 

3 SEC. 7. LIMITATION ON ADDITIONAL FUNDING. 

4 To carry out this Act, the Secretary of State may 

5 use only amounts that are available from the Embassy Se6 curity, Construction, and Maintenance account and the 

7 Diplomatic and Consular Programs account of the De8 partment of State for such purpose. 

Æ 


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