Howard Berman: “I join the gentleman in support of H.R. 1432, the African Growth and Opportunity Act. This bill will help sub-Saharan…”

“I join the gentleman in support of H.R. 1432, the African Growth and Opportunity Act. This bill will help sub-Saharan countries build economic self-sufficiency and reduce their isolation in an increasingly interdependent world. The bill supports U.S. aid programs that are vital in the near term, but focus on sustainable development as the only way to substantially boost living standards in some of the world's poorest countries. It promotes trade, foreign investment, debt relief, and private enterprise, including businesses run by women. At the same time, the bill requires that beneficiary countries have or must be moving towards market-based economies. It requires they be committed to accountable government, the eradication of poverty, observance of human rights: these criteria offer the best chance for prosperity and stability in the region. I urge support for the bill and opposition to those amendments, in the context of trying to help H.R. 1432.”