Agoa Extension Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. DOGGETT. Madam Speaker, I support strengthening our relations with African countries through the African Growth and Opportunity Extension Act. I think increased trade, economic activity, and development that respects human rights, labor rights, and the environment can benefit both Americans and Africans.

I think that trade is especially important at this time after the profound damage done by the consistent disrespect by President Trump of Africans, unless they happen to be White Afrikaners, and, more importantly, by his abrupt and unjustified termination of the Agency for International Development, which has cost tens of thousands of lives in Africa and other places, and thousands of American jobs. AGOA cannot undo all of that harm, but it can be part of responsible engagement, if it is done right.

It is important, however, to understand that this reauthorization does not guarantee a single African country the benefits of this bill if they fall out of favor with President Trump. The role of Congress is constrained. The bill continues to empower the President to include or exclude countries entirely at his whim, and we know how unpredictable, vengeful, and punitive he can be.

While I support AGOA, I do not support extending it to countries with serious human rights abuses, nor to those engaging in serious environmental destruction, such as the devastation of Africa's rainforests.

In Tanzania, bodies filled morgues as more than 700 people last fall were reportedly killed in connection with the recent election. Peaceful protesters in Mozambique, Angola, and Madagascar were shot by security forces. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are involved in multiple war crimes, despite President Trump's failed attempts to achieve a peace agreement.

I have particular concern about Kenya from a business standpoint. A longtime, well-respected Austin resident, an engineer and law-abiding citizen, serves as co-president of LightPulse, a respected Kenyan healthcare and educational institution. Kenyan authorities cooperated in the abduction of one of his employees, who was taken to Turkiye and tortured. The next thing that we knew, up on a website in Turkiye was a declaration that my constituent was being labeled as a terrorist. Another incident of this type occurred only last month, and the Kenyans have been unable to provide a suitable explanation for their conduct.

Finally, American workers should not be forced to compete on an uneven playing field, where China sends manufactured products to Africa, there are minor changes made there, and then this product is sent here as an AGOA trade preference product. Our trade laws should be clear and not put our workers at a disadvantage by forcing them to compete with these kinds of practices.

AGOA cannot undo the immense harm that President Trump has already inflicted, but if properly structured, it can strengthen democratic rights and environmental protection.

I would support a short-term extension paired with meaningful reforms. We have had no shortage of time in order to get these reforms; only a lack of will. We do not have that reform bill before us.

Madam Speaker, for all of those reasons, I respectfully urge my colleagues to reject this bill and instead work toward a more responsible, accountable reauthorization of AGOA.

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