IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 251 
Reaffirming bilateral and multilateral relations between the United States 
and African countries and recognizing the importance of diplomatic, 
security, and trade relations. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2021 
Ms. BASS (for herself, Ms. NORTON, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. RUSH, Ms. 
JACKSON LEE, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CAR-
SON, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. TITUS, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. VEASEY, 
Mr. TAKANO, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. BERA, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. 
GALLEGO, Mr. EVANS, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. KHANNA, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. 
NEGUSE, Ms. OMAR, and Ms. JACOBS of California) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs 
RESOLUTION 
Reaffirming bilateral and multilateral relations between the 
United States and African countries and recognizing the 
importance of diplomatic, security, and trade relations. 
Whereas the United States and countries across the African 
Continent have enjoyed long standing and mutually bene-
ficial bilateral and multilateral relations and share strong 
political, economic, and cultural ties including involuntary 
and other migrations of Africans to the Americas and the 
economic and social development of that population into 
a highly contributing citizenry with lasting ties to the Af-
rican Continent; 
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•HRES 251 IH 
Whereas the United States looks to reset its relationship with 
the continent of Africa by enhancing its partnership 
through supporting the African Union, mutual trade and 
investment, continuity, and highlighting climate change; 
Whereas the pillars for partnership between the United 
States and the continent of Africa are peace and security, 
economic growth, trade, investment, democracy and gov-
ernance, and promoting investment opportunities and de-
velopment including through the African Continental 
Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA); 
Whereas the United States, through Presidential initiatives, 
targeted legislation, and special programs have collabo-
rated with African countries to improve health, build crit-
ical infrastructure, advance trade, increase stability, sup-
port future leaders, and leverage capital to further socio- 
economic opportunities across the continent; 
Whereas initiatives such as the African Growth and Oppor-
tunity Act (AGOA), the President’s Malaria Initiative, 
Feed the Future, the President’s Emergency Plan for 
AIDS Relief, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and 
United States trade and investment hubs have generated 
opportunities for millions of Africans and Americans, now 
will require a reset, new ideas, and a new approach to Af-
rica’s opportunities and challenges; 
Whereas after decades of conflict, Sudan is starting to make 
progress toward peace and build democratic institutions, 
and this is the time for the United States to pave the 
way and help strengthen economic development and pro-
mote democracy; 
Whereas the Sahel region is very volatile, and the United 
States must use a multidimensional peacekeeping ap-
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•HRES 251 IH 
proach to help to resolve the fragility, climate change, de-
mographic growth, and economic hardship in the region; 
Whereas the United States could help encourage good finan-
cial governance through the IMF and World Bank by en-
gaging in more proactive regulation and oversight of fi-
nancial sectors in debt-laden countries to help improve 
debt management and transparency, helping to create 
sustainable borrowing and lending practices; 
Whereas Africa is important to United States national secu-
rity and trade interests, and the AfCFTA, which will 
bring together nearly all 55 African Union member states 
and create a more integrated market with a total GDP 
of $2.2 trillion, gives the United States an opportunity to 
accelerate its multilateral partners; 
Whereas trade in goods and services between the United 
States and sub-Saharan Africa reached more than $38 
billion in 2019, during the same period, sub-Saharan Af-
rica imported $238 billion, only of which $15 billion from 
the United States, underlining an opportunity for growth 
in American market share; 
Whereas it is vital that the United States and the African 
Union cooperate on objectives of mutual interest, espe-
cially achieving democracy and sustainable economic de-
velopment, and consider negotiating a continental trade 
partnership after AGOA ends in 2025; 
Whereas African countries are increasingly integrated into 
the international system through communications tech-
nology and are often the origin of transnational issues 
such as the 2009 Horn of Africa piracy crisis and the 
2013 Ebola outbreak, which prodded adoption of new 
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•HRES 251 IH 
shipping protocols and stimulated thought on creating a 
global health security architecture; and 
Whereas African countries are committed to multilateralism, 
hold three nonpermanent seats on the United Nations Se-
curity Council, represent the largest and most unified 
block at the United Nations General Assembly, and are 
integral to finding solutions to global challenges, such as 
climate change, violent extremism, and the COVID–19 
pandemic: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) reaffirms the mutually beneficial ties be-
tween the United States and African countries, 
based on a strong desire for accountable governance, 
regional security, inclusive development, and strong-
er trade relations; 
(2) recognizes the importance of the bilateral 
and multilateral partnerships between the United 
States and African countries and remains committed 
to advancing these strategic partnerships through 
greater interaction between government leaders, 
agencies and departments, civil society, private in-
dustry, and youth; 
(3) acknowledges the dynamic changes on the 
African continent require a proactive African policy 
that broadens diplomatic, economic, and academic 
engagement to harness the ideas and expertise of 
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