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Foreign Affairs

As the first Dominican American to serve in Congress, Congressmember Adriano Espaillat is honored to serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee.

Since the initial wave of Dominican migration in the 1960s to the most recent arrivals of today, Dominicans and Dominican-Americans have worked hard to contribute to the national identity of the United States, educating people on their customs and enriching the quality of our shared futures. Contributions from Dominican-Americans can be found in every facet of United States life, including Fashion Designer Oscar de la Renta, Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez, Baseball Giant "Big Papi," Novelist Julia Alvarez, and Actress Zoe Saldana. That is why Congressmember Adriano Espaillat introduced a resolution supporting the establishment of a national month of recognition for Dominican-Americans to honor Dominican people and their contributions. He also introduced a resolution supporting the establishment of a national day of recognition for Juan Pablo Duarte to honor the founding father or the Dominican Republic.

In Congress, Congressmember Adriano Espaillat has been pushing for:

  • Emergency Preparedness in the Caribbean
  • U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America
  • Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI)
  • Investing in Energy Potential in the Caribbean
  • Funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Congressmember Adriano Espaillat is also concerned with funding the State Department, and believes in the importance of diplomacy. He is also concerned with national security. That is why he introduced the Make Our Government Safe Act, which would amend the National Security Act of 1947 to prevent anyone from serving on the National Security Council who has made the statements that Steve Bannon did about taking down the system. His bill would prevent someone who has threatened to destroy the government from participating in or attending National Security Council meetings.