By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 14, 2022 – Three Bahamian Cabinet Ministers accompanied by His Excellency Wendall Jones, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, met with a number of members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate during a two-day lobbying visit to Washington, D.C.
During their visit to Capitol Hill, the Hon. Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service; the Hon. Alfred Sears, Minister of Works; Attorney General Ryan Pinder, and Ambassador Jones discussed with the U.S. lawmakers various issues, including the cooperation and support of the United States for several projects in The Bahamas.
Among the U.S. lawmakers the group met with was Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-New York).
Now in his 13th term as Representative for New York’s Fifth Congressional District, Rep. Meeks “is a fervent supporter of the Affordable Care Act enacted under President Obama,” and “believes that it should be enhanced,” according to his congressional website. “Congressman Meeks is part of the forward-thinking, pro-growth Democratic members who comprise the New Democrat Coalition (NDC), the largest ideological caucus in Congress. He co-chairs the NDCC Trade Task Force,” the website notes.
The website adds: “Congressman Meeks is Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the first black Member of Congress to serve as Chair of that committee. Meeks is a multilateralist with decades of experience in foreign policy. He believes that the United States should build coalitions around our interests and work with other countries to build a stable and prosperous future.
“He is a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, where he served as the Chairmen of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions which oversees all financial regulators such as, FDIC, Federal Reserve and all matters pertaining to consumer credit and the stability of the banking system.”
The Bahamian delegation also met with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who as “Florida’s first Jewish Congresswoman … has earned the respect of her colleagues for working tirelessly on behalf of seniors, children, and families for nearly three decades,” according to her congressional website.
“First sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz previously served in the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate where she originally displayed her philosophy that there is ‘no task too small, and no goal too big,” according to the Congresswoman’s website.
“Currently Wasserman Schultz serves as a Cardinal on the Appropriations Committee, making history as the first-ever woman to Chair the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, where she is committed to ensuring our nation’s veterans have the resources and support they need,” the website adds. “In addition, she serves on the Agriculture Subcommittee, as well as the Energy and Water Subcommittee, where Wasserman Schultz is a leading advocate of the efforts to protect the Florida Everglades, take bold action on climate change, and safeguard our air and water.”
The delegation also met with United States Senator Bill Hagerty, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 and is currently serving his first term representing the state of Tennessee.
“His committee assignments include: U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs; U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations; and the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules & Administration,” according to his Senate website.
“Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Hagerty served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, the world’s third largest economy and America’s closest ally in the region,” his website notes.
Additionlly, the Bahamian delebation met with Congresswoman Betty McCollum, a Democrat who represents Minnesota’s Fourth District in the House of Representatives.
“In 2000, Congresswoman McCollum made history as only the second Minnesota woman elected to serve in Congress since statehood in 1858,” according to her congressional website. “McCollum represents the residents of Minnesota’s capital city, St. Paul, as well as all of Ramsey County and most of Washington County.”
The website adds: “Throughout her career in public service, Congresswoman McCollum has been a champion for excellence in education, protecting the environment, expanding health care access, fiscal responsibility, and robust international engagement that prioritizes diplomacy, development, human rights, along with a strong national defense.
“Investments in education, health care, and 21st century infrastructure are top policy priorities for Congresswoman McCollum. With more than 20 institutions of higher learning located in the Fourth District, keeping higher education affordable, accessible, and high quality is important. A strong proponent of public education, she supports keeping our schools accountable to parents and local officials. McCollum is a champion for universal health coverage for all Americans and a strong supporter of protecting and strengthening the Affordable Care Act.”
According to a Bahamas Information Services (BIS) press release, “The purpose of these meetings was to lobby for financial assistance from the United States Government to support Hurricane Dorian restoration projects in Abaco and Grand Bahama as well as infrastructural improvement around the AUTEC Base in Andros.”
The release noted that the meetings were attended by “United States Senators, Congresspersons and their respective staff members, including:
- Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), Member of Appropriations Subcommittees on Defense, and Military Construction; Member of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management.
- Senator Marco Rubio (R – FL), Vice Chairman of Select Committee on Intelligence, Member of Appropriations Subcommittees on Military Construction and State and Foreign Operations; Ranking Member on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere.
- Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense; Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction.
- Congressman Mike Waltz (R-FL), Member of the House Armed Services Committee.
- Congressman John Rutherford (R-FL), Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction.
- Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-FL), Chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.
- Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL), Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.
- Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.
- Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management; Member of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere; Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Military Construction and State and Foreign Operations.
- Congressman Ken Calvert (R-CA), Ranking Member of Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
- Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
- Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction.
- Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chair of the House Financial Services Committee.
“This trip was made pursuant to a Cabinet decision that the Government, in partnership with The TK Foundation, engaged the US law firm of Holland & Knight to lobby the United States Government for financial assistance to support hurricane restoration and mitigation in The Bahamas,” according to the BIS release.
