Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced that he will join U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on the Americas Trade and Investment Act, or Americas Act, as co-lead in the Senate. Cassidy introduced the discussion draft in January. The Americas Act would create an ever-expanding and permanent trade partnership of Western Hemisphere countries and counter China’s growing control over global manufacturing and geopolitics by uniting democracies in our hemisphere.
“Across the Americas, we share deep, rich ties and an enormous opportunity for partnership – but since the end of the Cold War, Washington has failed to offer a compelling alternative to Chinese investment in Latin America,” said Bennet. “We can’t let another 40 years pass without deepening our engagement on trade, climate, and immigration across the region. The Americas Act is an opportunity to live up to our values in our shared struggle for democracy.”
“The U.S. has lacked a coherent Latin America policy for the past 60 years, but now there is a bipartisan focus on investing in the Western Hemisphere to stay competitive with the Chinese Communist Party,” said Cassidy. “Senator Bennet will be a strong partner in pushing to create a more consistent, effective, and pro American worker Western Hemisphere policy, making our world safer and more prosperous.”
Last week, at the Inaugural Cities Summit of the Americas in Denver, Bennet urged the United States to deepen its ties with Latin America on trade, supply chains, climate, and immigration. In his speech, Bennet warned of the consequences of allowing the Chinese Communist Party to fill the void left by the United States’ neglect of the region for decades.