[House Hearing, 113 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
INCREASING AMERICAN JOBS THROUGH GREATER EXPORTS TO AFRICA ACT OF 2013
=======================================================================
MARKUP
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HEALTH,
GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS, AND
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
H.R. 1777
__________
NOVEMBER 21, 2013
__________
Serial No. 113-122
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
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COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American
DANA ROHRABACHER, California Samoa
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio BRAD SHERMAN, California
JOE WILSON, South Carolina GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
TED POE, Texas GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
MATT SALMON, Arizona THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania BRIAN HIGGINS, New York
JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina KAREN BASS, California
ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts
MO BROOKS, Alabama DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island
TOM COTTON, Arkansas ALAN GRAYSON, Florida
PAUL COOK, California JUAN VARGAS, California
GEORGE HOLDING, North Carolina BRADLEY S. SCHNEIDER, Illinois
RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III,
SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania Massachusetts
STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas AMI BERA, California
RON DeSANTIS, Florida ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
TREY RADEL, Florida GRACE MENG, New York
DOUG COLLINS, Georgia LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
TED S. YOHO, Florida JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
LUKE MESSER, Indiana
Amy Porter, Chief of Staff Thomas Sheehy, Staff Director
Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director
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Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and
International Organizations
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, Chairman
TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania KAREN BASS, California
RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island
STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas AMI BERA, California
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina
C O N T E N T S
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Page
MARKUP OF
H.R. 1777, To create jobs in the United States by increasing
United States exports to Africa by at least 200 percent in real
dollar value within 10 years, and for other purposes........... 2
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 1777 offered by
the Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in
Congress from the State of New Jersey, and chairman,
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights,
and International Organizations.............................. 24
LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
APPENDIX
Markup notice.................................................... 44
Markup minutes................................................... 45
Markup summary................................................... 46
INCREASING AMERICAN JOBS THROUGH GREATER EXPORTS TO AFRICA ACT OF 2013
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health,
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 o'clock
a.m., in room 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon.
Christopher H. Smith (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Mr. Smith. The subcommittee will come to order. Pursuant to
notice, the subcommittee will meet this morning to markup H.R.
1777, the Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to
Africa Act of 2013. As our members are aware, this measure
enjoys strong bipartisan support. There are competing hearings
and other events taking place this morning so we will move
quickly to its consideration.
It is the intent of the Chair to consider this measure en
bloc, along with a substitute amendment sent to you on Tuesday.
All members have copies of these documents before them, and
then after we have concluded our expedited consideration I will
recognize myself, Mr. Cicilline, who is sitting in for Ranking
Member Bass, and any other members who would like to make a
statement. All members are given leave to insert written
remarks in the record should they choose to do so.
Seeing that a reporting quorum is present and without
objection, the following are considered as read and will be
considered en bloc--H.R. 1777, the Increasing American Jobs
Through Greater Exports to Africa Act of 2013 and the Smith
Amendment 36 to H.R. 1777 sent to your offices on Tuesday.
[The information referred to follows:]H.R.
1777 deg.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Mr. Smith. The Chair moves that the en bloc items be
adopted. All those in favor say aye.
[Chorus of ayes.]
Mr. Smith. Those opposed? In the opinion of the Chair, the
ayes have it and the items considered en bloc are adopted.
Without objection, the measures as amended are reported
favorably to the full committee and the staff is directed to
make technical and conforming changes. Now that we have
completed the formal considerations of these measures, again I
would like to recognize myself for a brief explanation of the
bill, H.R. 1777, the Increasing American Jobs Through Greater
Exports to Africa Act of 2013. This bill, which I am happy to
say is cosponsored by our Ranking Member Karen Bass and
Congressman Bobby Rush, directs the President to establish a
comprehensive U.S. strategy for public and private investment,
trade, and development in Africa. This legislation focuses,
among other things, on increasing exports of U.S. goods and
services to Africa by 200 percent in real dollar value within
10 years. According to the Department of Commerce, every $1
billion in U.S. exports creates some 6,000 jobs in this
country.
My legislation calls for the alignment of U.S. commercial
interests in the development of priorities in Africa. Trade and
aid are not mutually exclusive. Capacity building, for example,
is a development tool and it must be used to enable African
countries to become more proficient in promoting trade and
expanding wealth opportunities in their countries. Improving
the competitiveness of U.S. businesses in Africa is in
America's interest as well since more prosperous Africans can
afford U.S.-manufactured goods.
This legislation encourages a greater understanding among
U.S. financial and business communities of the opportunities
that Africa holds for U.S. exports. Today, U.S. publications
only occasionally describe the commercial opportunities
available in Africa. If you read Fortune, Business Week, or
even Black Enterprise magazines, you will read perhaps an
annual Africa-focused issue that is in general in its
description of business in Africa, but there is little ongoing
discussion of the kind of linkages that U.S. businesses are
missing. Chinese, Japanese, and even Turkish businesspeople are
taking full advantage of those opportunities today, and
American businesspeople should have the same chances to benefit
from them.
The legislation fosters partnership opportunities between
U.S. and African small- and medium-sized enterprises,
especially among the African diaspora businesses which have not
benefited from the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA,
as they might have. Again, this is a function of not having
sufficient information on which to base important commercial
decisions.
The President is required, pursuant to the bill, if it
becomes law, to designate a special Africa export strategy
coordinator. U.S. trade policy is too often stovepiped, meaning
that various agencies pursue their missions without sufficient
coordination. In an increasingly competitive global trade
environment, this practice must end. The Secretary of Commerce
is directed to ensure that at least 10 total U.S. and Foreign
Commercial Service Officers are assigned to U.S. Embassies in
Africa for each of the first 5 fiscal years after enactment of
the act. We tried to increase foreign commercial service
officers under AGOA, but their numbers are currently, in fact,
shrinking.
I see this legislation as complementing AGOA. It is
absolutely not replacing it. When AGOA is reauthorized, and we
hope that will be next year, this legislation will be a worthy
companion to balance the benefits of U.S.-Africa trade for
businesspeople on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
I would like to now yield to Mr. Cicilline.
Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to begin by
thanking you and Ranking Member Bass for your leadership in
moving to markup H.R. 1777, the Increasing American Jobs
Through Greater Exports to Africa Act of 2013. You and
Congressman Rush have shown incredible leadership in
introducing a bill that is both good for our country and good
for African nations. I also want to acknowledge the bipartisan
Senate companion too, S. 718, introduced by Senator Durbin, and
that includes 10 other Senate members who have shown their
support for this measure.
We are now well familiar with the facts that African
economies are growing at a respectable pace, and several
consistently beyond that. Over the last dozen years some of the
world's fastest growing economies are in Africa. With over 1
billion Africans participating in the global marketplace, we
see new consumers who are eager to take part in the flow of
goods and services and who have increasing purchasing power for
those goods and services. I am pleased and strongly support
this bill which calls for comprehensive United States strategy
for public and private investment, trade, and development in
Africa. Such a strategy is important and essential to U.S.
private sectors to engage effectively and support this type of
engagement that African nations require if we are to transition
from transitional aid models to that of trade and investment.
I would particularly note the important role played by the
U.S. Foreign Commercial Service Officers. These dedicated
representatives of the Department of Commerce play an integral
role in our efforts to expand U.S. investment in Africa. They
are key to the local private sector and can introduce visiting
U.S. companies to local government and private sector
representatives. We need more of these experts in Africa and I
heartily support the bill's call for an increase in the number
of Foreign Commercial Service Officers assigned to countries in
Africa.
If our Nation seeks to be competitive on the continent, it
will require new steps, new strategies, and new thinking to
recognize that the U.S. can be a market leader and key business
partner on the continent if we want to be. Indeed, for all of
the discussion about the aggressive marketing tactics displayed
by China and others, neither BRICs nations nor former colonial
powers in Africa can match U.S. companies in terms of the
marketing of quality of goods and services, the provision of
sound maintenance contracts, and the development of outstanding
executive training. This is why so many countries worldwide
like to work with the U.S. private sector, and in this respect
Africa is no different.
It is against this backdrop that I support this bill which
focuses on an assertive and comprehensive whole of government
approach to U.S. Government and U.S. private sector engagement
with the countries of Africa. Mr. Chairman, earlier this year
President Obama visited Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania.
During his visit to the continent, he spoke of his strong
support for the reauthorization of AGOA and announced two
landmark Presidential initiatives--Power Africa, aimed at
building the continent's access to electrical power to help
grow businesses, and Trade Africa, aimed at developing greater
interregional trade and augmenting U.S. trade and investment.
This bill complements these initiatives by promoting greater
U.S. Government synergy, facilitating public-private
partnership, and augmenting U.S. bilateral relations with the
countries of Africa.
Mr. Chairman, in closing I want to once again acknowledge
the bipartisan, bicameral support under your leadership for not
only the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) but the
greater goal of growing partnership between the U.S. and
African private sector. You and many of my colleagues in this
committee have long recognized the importance of this goal for
the United States and the countries of Africa. I thank you for
your continued support and look forward in continuing to work
with you and Ranking Member Bass and my colleagues in this
regard. I thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
Mr. Smith. Mr. Cicilline, thank you very much. Would any
other members like to be heard?
Mr. Meadows?
Mr. Meadows. Just would like to thank the chairman for his
foresight and his unrelenting pursuit to make sure that we have
a good relationship with the continent of Africa, but also in
terms of creating jobs here in America. And so just my
compliments to him and wish him a happy Thanksgiving.
Mr. Smith. Thank you.
Mr. Weber?
Mr. Weber. What he said.
Mr. Smith. Okay, thank you. I want to thank my colleagues
for their support of this legislation, their cosponsorship of
it, and we will move to the full committee. The markup session
of this subcommittee is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 10:13 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
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Material Submitted for the Record
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