New York City Insider: Secretary Blinken Praises Representative Espaillat's Leadership on Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.

 

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release April 28, 2022

Secretary Blinken Praises Representative Espaillat's Leadership on Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. Comes On Heels of House Passage of Espaillat's Bill, H.R.4133 – The Caribbean Basic Security Initiative Authorization Act.   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during a House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations hearing on the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request for the Department of State, Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised Representative Adriano Espaillat's (NY-13) spearheading of H.R.4133 - The Caribbean Basic Security Initiative Authorization Act – which passed the House last night. In response to Representative Espaillat’s questioning, Secretary Blinken said: “So, first let me just thank you for your leadership on this. One of the things we’re trying to do more on – and I had an opportunity to talk to the Chairwoman about this as well yesterday – is to focus more on the Caribbean Basin across the board. Of course there’s the climate challenge which is – as you know very well – acute, and helping to make sure our nearest neighbors have the means to engage in adaptation and building resilience.” You can watch the full clip of Rep. Espaillat’s questioning, and Sec. Blinken’s responses, by clicking HERE. The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act would allocate nearly $75,000,000 per year from 2022 through 2026 to improve security cooperation with Caribbean nations and combat illicit drug trafficking, support justice sector reform and strengthen the rule of law, and address instability caused by natural disasters. Rep. Espaillat secured $80,000,000 for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative in the fiscal year 2022 federal budget. Rep. Espaillat’s H.R.4133 would codify multi-year funding as well as improve the efficacy and focus of CBSI to address continuing concerns in the region. It will incorporate efforts to promote disaster resiliency given increasing and worsening hurricanes in the region that threaten long-term security. Read the bill in its entirety HERE. Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip. Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.