I hope we can change a few things in Washington as we look at Africa. I hope the U.S. Commerce Secretary will travel to Africa. That has not happened in years. I would encourage our Secretary to discover the opportunities on this continent for the good of our economy here in the United States. It is hard to imagine, as well, the Commerce Department is actually cutting its staff in Africa at this point, and the Export-Import Bank doesn't have an African staff at this point. This can change. The tremendous growth of the African economy and its middle class makes lack of engagement inexcusable. We can reverse it, and this bill is a step in the direction to reverse it. As Senator Boozman said, it is modest, commonsense, and doesn't add to the deficit. It thinks of ways to use current resources more effectively. It moves us in that direction with low-cost steps that will actually earn U.S. money while creating U.S. jobs. I will yield on this issue and allow my colleagues to close if they have closing remarks.
Share & report
More from Dick Durbin
Mr. President, the jury is in. At the end of 100 days, the major polling firms across the United States went out and asked the American people: So what do you think? What is your impression of this new President? What is your impression of…
Mr. President, 3 years ago today, this Capitol served as the background for one of the most notable events in recent American history. On April 7, 2022, our country made a monumental stride forward. The Senate confirmed a…
I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet), the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons), the Senator from Michigan (Mr. Peters), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen), and the Senator…
I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Hickenlooper), the Senator from Maine (Mr. King), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) are necessarily absent. The result was…





