Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper alongside U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) celebrated the final passage of their Summit of the Americas Act to strengthen U.S. diplomatic leadership in the Western Hemisphere. The Summit of the Americas convenes heads of state to bolster ties and promote regional partnerships, mostly recently in Los Angeles in 2022.
“Coloradans understand that the Americas share more than a hemisphere; we share a braided culture, an economy, and a common destiny that we must write together,” said Bennet. “By passing this legislation, Congress has committed the United States to continue deepening these relationships by institutionalizing such summits at least every four years.”
“The Summit of the Americas provides us and our democratic partners in the Western Hemisphere a unique forum to tackle the world’s largest issues and deepen our economic ties,” said Hickenlooper.
“The Summit of the Americas is key to building a stronger, more prosperous hemisphere,” said Cassidy. “The Senate reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening ties and promoting economic growth across the Western Hemisphere.”
The Summit of the Americas Act directs the Secretary of State to support the Summit of the Americas and codify the existing State Department unit to ensure implementation of Summit commitments and work with other U.S. agencies to ensure continued U.S. participation. The bill also expresses support for the Cities Summit of the Americas – of which Denver hosted the inaugural summit in 2023 – to continue as a key element of the larger Summit.
In 1994, President Bill Clinton convened the first Summit of the Americas in Miami to promote prosperity and enhance democracy throughout the Americas. Succeeding summits have elevated these and other issues like climate change and immigration.
In 2021 Bennet supported Colorado’s bid to host the 2022 Summit of the Americas, which took place in Los Angeles. Bennet and Hickenlooper led the effort to support Colorado’s bid to host the Summit of the Americas and Bennet spoke at the first-ever Cities Summit of the Americas in Denver in 2023.
Bennet and Cassidy are also the lead sponsors of the Americas Act, a bipartisan and bicameral bill to drive shared economic prosperity, strengthen democracy in our hemisphere, counter the influence of China and Russia, and address some of the causes of migration. The Financial Times Editorial Board, former U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Commander General Laura Richardson, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle, and Costa Rican Trade Minister Manuel Tovar have all endorsed the bill.
U.S. Representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Ill.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), and María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) introduced and passed bipartisan companion legislation to the Summit of the Americas Act in the House.
The text of the bill is available HERE.