I acknowledge your assistance and friendship, and I applaud your courage of conviction to speak the fact to power even when it is difficult. These countries that chose to avoid ballot or voted against the resolution at the OAS concerning the situation in Venezuela, I desire you to understand that your decision just furthers oppression and tyranny in the Americas.
It is my.
hope that you will reassess how your vote on these type of issues in the future. Eventually, we all have a duty to actively secure liberty in the Americas, however that can only need extremely difficult choices. Mr. Sires. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for interacting on this hearing, and I wish to thank the witnesses for being here today. Thank you quite. The Caribbean is frequently referred to as America's third border and I agree with this description. With nearly 45 million individuals incorporating 16 independent nations and 14 overseas areas, the Caribbean is a varied region that includes a few of the hemisphere's wealthiest.
and poorest nations. It is a region of great financial and cultural, political and security ties to the United States. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is identified by extensive economic linkages, considerable security cooperation, and continued U.S. Over the previous 3 years, the administration has actually put forth a brand-new effort supporting energy diversification and clean, sustainable energy tasks to improve the region's energy security and to assist it move far from its dependence on oil from Venezuela. Venezuela, which has long subsidized energy costs to lots of Latin American and Caribbean nations, must turn inward to save itself from economic and political collapse. Amidst these unpleasant times we must work.
with our Caribbean partners to diversify energy sources, strengthen their economies, and construct upon a mutual security interest. On the legislative front, last month your house approved H (How to finance a car from a private seller).R. How to finance an engagement ring. This act is created to increase engagement with the Caribbean that requires the Secretary of State to send a multiyear plan to Congress for U.S. engagement with the Caribbean regions and upgrade on its U.S. diplomatic effort to engage the eastern Caribbean nations. As a worldwide power, the United States faces obstacles and risks from every corner of the world. However, it is crucial that we stay taken part in the Western Hemisphere and not lose sight of our interests so close to home. I anticipate speaking with our witnesses on how the U.S. efforts in the Caribbean can improve and how America can continue to enhance its partnership with our Caribbean neighbors. Mr. Duncan. I will thank the ranking member, and I will simply say I don't understand the number of other members we are going to have today. We have actually adjourned for the August recess break and we wanted to continue. Understanding that we were going to adjourn, we wanted to continue with this hearing because that is how essential it is to the ranking member and myself, so do not believe because no other members reveal up that it isn't a vital concern to the committee and to the subcommittee. And I eagerly anticipate hearing from the witnesses who are effectively known to the.
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committee so their bios are available to us, and I will recognize Eric Farnsworth for 5 minutes. ERIC FARNSWORTH, VICE PRESIDENT, COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS AND AMERICAS SOCIETY Mr. Farnsworth. Well, Mr. Chairman, thank you quite for continuing with the hearing on such a vital subject. Thank you for your management in general on these issues as well as the Caribbean specifically, and Mr. Ranking Member, you too. It is truly crucial to have a bipartisan voice on these problems and we keep in mind that. We take satisfaction in that and thank you for that leadership, and we ask that that would continue in some method given the significance of the issues at hand. The United States does have strategic concerns.
in the Caribbean Basin and we do not often speak about it because method, however in my Visit website view they are tactical, from assistance for democratic organizations-- some of which are rather delicate; a few of which are strong and long-lasting-- we have security interests consisting of drug trafficking, Informative post counterterrorism, the fight against financial criminal activities, certainly immigration and humanitarian issues, energy, the environment, economic development; it is a really large range of problems to which the United States has interest. Mr. Sires. Thank you. Mr. Chairman. Mr. Duncan. The Chair will now go to Mr. Yoho from Florida. Mr. Yoho. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate you putting this together, and I wish to thank you for putting the pivot on our next-door neighbors in the Caribbean. As you have mentioned and that we have actually seen, and it is not simply this administration, it is probably over the last 20 or 30 years where we have actually taken our eye off the ball in the Caribbean. When we have nation states that close to us with like cultures, you know, we value the same things, our family values, things like that, that near to us, and we take the eye off of that we begin losing our competitiveness and we have seen that.
And Go to the website it is so crucial down in that area and we want people, you know, primary is to be safe in that area. And with the conflicts going on in the world we do not desire them to attack because location and sadly, we are beginning to see that. And I believe one of the most significant things is President Maduro, after Chavez, seeing what is going on in Venezuela. And we have seen in the past, when you have self-appointed totalitarians that pertain to power and when they fall there is a vacuum filled. We have seen that worldwide.