IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 97 
Reaffirming the importance of the United States relationship with the 
Dominican Republic. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 4, 2021 
Mr. ESPAILLAT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Reaffirming the importance of the United States relationship 
with the Dominican Republic. 
Whereas the Dominican Republic is a crucial partner to the 
United States in hemispheric affairs, which includes bi-
lateral trade, diplomacy, tourism, and security coopera-
tion, and it is vital to not only maintain but also continue 
to foster this strong and special relationship; 
Whereas the strength of the relationship between the United 
States and the Dominican Republic is rooted in political, 
economic, and cultural ties which have continuously so-
lidified since the Dominican Republic first gained inde-
pendence in 1844; 
Whereas, as the first major wave of Dominican migrants to 
the United States began in the 1960s and has continued 
throughout the decades since, there are over 2 million 
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•HRES 97 IH 
people of Dominican descent who now live in the United 
States, currently making the Dominican-American com-
munity the fifth-largest Hispanic group in the United 
States; 
Whereas support between the nations is reciprocal, and the 
United States is committed to its continued support, both 
in words and actions, to the Dominican Republic’s demo-
cratic and economic development; 
Whereas the United States greatly benefits from all the valu-
able contributions made by the Dominican community 
and Dominican culture, literature, music, dance, and 
sports; 
Whereas the sport of baseball, commonly known as ‘‘Amer-
ica’s favorite pastime’’, is a major source of pride and 
cultural identity for the Dominican Republic, and as one 
of the most significant contributors to Major League 
Baseball, Dominicans not only currently represent 11.6 
percent of all Major League Baseball starters, but also 
represent some of the greatest players of all time, includ-
ing Hall-of-Famers Juan Marichal, Pedro Martı´nez, and 
Vladimir Guerrero; 
Whereas the Dominican Republic is the largest economy in 
both the Caribbean and Central America regions, and the 
United States is the Dominican Republic’s largest trade 
partner; 
Whereas one of the top contributing factors to the Dominican 
Republic’s economy is remittances, most of which origi-
nate from the United States, accounting for 77.4 percent 
of the remittances the Dominican Republic received in 
2018; 
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Whereas one of the greatest examples of both nations’ strong 
commitment is the Central America-Dominican Republic 
Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA–DR) trade agreement, 
resulting in stronger trade and investment ties, which has 
also strengthened the relationship and furthered the eco-
nomic prosperity of both countries; 
Whereas the highest and lowest elevations in the West Indies 
are found within the Dominican Republic’s major moun-
tain ranges and the fertile valleys which contribute to the 
country’s agricultural export sector; 
Whereas in addition to trade potential, the Dominican Re-
public’s mountain terrain, along with its beautiful beach-
es and other geographically unique landscapes, create sig-
nificant tourism potential; 
Whereas tourism is one of the most important sectors in the 
Dominican Republic’s economy, and Americans account 
for over 30 percent of international travelers visiting the 
country, comprising 2 million of the 6.6 million who vis-
ited in 2018; 
Whereas Americans can continue to safely enjoy all that the 
Dominican Republic has to offer, as the country has an-
nounced new safety measures, including thousands more 
tourist agents, national police, and public security cam-
eras; and 
Whereas the Dominican Republic has also entered into a 
partnership with United States-based Ecolab, which will 
provide training and certification to all Department of 
Tourism Services and Companies inspectors: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
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(1) under the umbrella of the congressionally 
approved bipartisan and bicameral Friends of the 
Dominican Republic Caucus, the United States Con-
gress will continue its focus on strengthening the re-
lationship between the United States and the Do-
minican Republic; 
(2) relations between the United States and the 
Dominican Republic have led to expanded economic 
prosperity, shared cultures, and increased regional 
stability; 
(3) the Dominican Republic is a safe, reliable, 
and hospitable tourist destination that travelers 
from the United States and countries around the 
world can enjoy without concern; and 
(4) the United States and the Dominican Re-
public are committed to a continued partnership, 
further economic prosperity, and enhanced security 
and stability in the region. 
Æ 
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