Karen Bass: “I want to thank the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. McDermott) for his leadership, and I also want to acknowledge…”

“I want to thank the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. McDermott) for his leadership, and I also want to acknowledge Congressman Rangel for his historic commitment to AGOA. But, in addition, I want to thank, as I stand here next to two men who I consider giants in the House of Representatives, I want to thank them for their patience and their guidance with me as a new Member here. It's been pretty amazing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle--Mr. Royce, Mr. Camp, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Rangel--as they all worked with me to make sure that we were able to be here this moment and pass AGOA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of African growth and opportunity legislation, H.R. 5986. Passage of today's legislation comes as a result of strong and widespread bipartisan and bicameral support. It's been a pleasure to work alongside Mr. Royce in this bipartisan effort, and I also want to thank my friend from the Senate, Senator Coons, who has been a stalwart advocate. I want to acknowledge the African Diplomatic Corps. Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of African jobs will be saved as a result of your efforts. Mr. Speaker, Africa is on the rise. Today, six of the world's fastest growing economies are in Africa. Opportunities abound, and we see increased political stability. Today's House vote on the extension of AGOA's fabric provision is, by all measures, a success for the U.S. and Africa alike. But we must not stop here.…”