Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen joined U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) in meeting with heads of Caribbean and Central American nations in Washington Friday to discuss the strategy for passage of the Caribbean Basin Initiative enhancement bill and the proposed Africa Growth and Opportunity Act now before Congress.
Present were Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Basdeo Panday; Presidents Miguel Angel Rodriguez of Costa Rica, Roberto Flores of El Salvador, Francisco Flores of Honduras, Alvaro Arzu of Guatemala and Leonel Fernandes of the Dominican Republic; and Vice President Enrique Bolanos of Nicaragua. Other nations were represented by their ambassadors and/or foreign ministers.
Christian-Christensen said the regional leaders lamented the fact that, as the heads of stable democracies that have long been partners with the United States, they had in essence to come "begging to the U.S. for this small concession."
Passage of the CBI bill is important to the Virgin Islands, too, the delegate stated in a release, as it includes a provision to lift the cap on the rum cover-over for the last quarter of this year. "I recognize that this is only for one quarter, and that it mean just $3 million to $4 million,"
she said, "but we need any funds that we can get, and the precedent is critical to our getting the cover-over lifted permanently."
She expressed hope that the U.S. Senate will take the bill up in the next two weeks and then go to conference with the House to resolve differences in the versions approved.
The Friday meeting and "the lobbying that is taking place by these leaders" is helpful to the passage of both bills, she said.
