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“UNITED STATES-MEXICO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H430-H432 on Jan. 10, 2019.
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The publication is reproduced in full below:
UNITED STATES-MEXICO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ACT
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 133) to promote economic partnership and cooperation between the United States and Mexico.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows
H.R. 133
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States and Mexico have benefitted from a bilateral, mutually beneficial partnership focused on advancing the economic interests of both countries.
(2) In 2013, Mexico adopted major energy reforms that opened its energy sector to private investment, increasing energy cooperation between Mexico and the United States and opening new opportunities for United States energy engagement.
(3) On January 18, 2018, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the Department of State stated, ``Our exchange programs build enduring relationships and networks to advance U.S. national interests and foreign policy goals . . . The role of our exchanges . . . in advancing U.S. national security and economic interests enjoys broad bipartisan support from Congress and other stakeholders, and provides a strong return on investment.''.
(4) According to the Institute of International Education, in the 2015-2016 academic year, more than 56,000 United States students studied in other countries in the Western Hemisphere region while more than 84,000 non-United States students from the region studied in the United States, but only 5,000 of those United States students studied in Mexico and only 16,000 of those non-United States students were from Mexico.
(5) In March 2011, the United States launched the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative, which seeks to increase educational exchanges between the United States and other countries in the Western Hemisphere region so that 100,000 United States students are studying in other countries in the Western Hemisphere region and 100,000 non-United States students from the region are studying in the United States per year by 2020.
(6) In January 2014, the United States established the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, which seeks to realize the goals of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative by facilitating a public-private partnership between the Department of State and nongovernmental organizations, corporations, and universities in the United States and other countries of the Western Hemisphere region.
(7) To date, the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund has awarded more than 100 grants to more than 250 higher education institutions from 25 countries in the Western Hemisphere region, and has raised $9,000,000 in investments, 75 percent of which was from corporations, foundations, and regional governments.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to continue deepening economic cooperation between the United States and Mexico; and
(2) to seek to prioritize and expand educational and professional exchange programs with Mexico, including through the framework of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative.
SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO PRIORITIZE AND EXPAND EDUCATIONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS WITH MEXICO.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall develop a strategy to carry out the policy described in section 3, to include prioritizing and expanding educational and professional exchange programs with Mexico through the framework of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative.
(b) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall--
(1) encourage more academic exchanges between the United States and Mexico at the secondary, post-secondary, and post-graduate levels, especially with communities and through academic institutions in the covered United States-Mexico border region;
(2) encourage United States and Mexican academic institutions and businesses to collaborate to assist prospective and developing entrepreneurs in strengthening their business skills and promoting cooperation and joint business initiatives across the United States and Mexico, with a focus on initiatives in the covered United States-Mexico border region;
(3) promote energy infrastructure coordination and cooperation through support of vocational-level education, internships, and exchanges between the United States and Mexico, particularly in the region in which the Eagle Ford Shale is located and in proximity to such region; and
(4) assess the feasibility of fostering partnerships between universities in the United States and medical school and nursing programs in Mexico to ensure that medical school and nursing programs in Mexico have comparable accreditation standards as medical school and nursing programs in the United States by the Accreditation and Standards in Foreign Medical Education, in addition to the Accreditation Commission For Education in Nursing, so that medical students can pass medical licensing board exams, and nursing students can pass nursing licensing exams, in the United States.
(c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report on the strategy required under subsection
(a).
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) 100,000 strong in the americas initiative.--The term
``100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative'' means the initiative established in March 2011 by the United States Government to increase educational exchanges in the Western Hemisphere.
(2) Covered united states-mexico border region.--The term
``covered United States-Mexico border region'' means those portions of the United States and Mexico that are within 100 kilometers of the international boundary between those countries.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 133, currently under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
I rise in support of this measure. I thank Representative Cuellar for introducing this measure, and I will discuss its merits in a moment.
But I can't stand in good conscience on the House floor to talk about our economic partnership with Mexico and not speak for a moment on what is happening right now on our southern border.
The government is currently shut down, with thousands of workers furloughed and prevented from doing their jobs. This is something that should be ameliorated quickly. Government should open.
The measure before us today deals with the incredibly important relationship with our neighbor to the south, Mexico. Mexico is our close friend and ally and a country with which we have extraordinarily close cultural and person-to-person ties.
This bill builds on the Obama administration's 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative by requiring the Secretary of State to expand the exchange programs and allow our students and business leaders to share and learn from each other.
It is also crucial that we send a strong message to the Mexican people that the United States Congress will not walk away from them despite the damage done to the relationship.
As I have said many times in the House Foreign Affairs Committee and on the House floor, the United States should be in the business of building bridges, not walls, to our friends in Mexico.
By passing this measure today, the House of Representatives is recommitting itself to our bilateral relationship. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of the U.S.-Mexico Economic Partnership Act authored by my good friend and fellow Texan, Mr. Cuellar.
As a native Texan, I know how critical the U.S.-Mexico relationship is to the prosperity and security of our two nations. And as the former chairman of the U.S.-Mexico IPG, I had the honor of leading congressional delegations to sit down with our Mexican counterparts to discuss bilateral issues, such as trade and security, and just recently went down for the President's inauguration. These legislative exchanges have been imperative for furthering the relationship between our two nations.
However, we must look beyond traditional and shared connections and foster cultural and academic partnerships and grow the U.S.-Mexico relationship among the younger generations. This bill achieves that goal by creating academic exchanges in the private sector that are focused on health and energy. This academic pipeline will strengthen our energy infrastructure and develop new generations of medical professionals who could work in both of our countries.
This bill complements the economic growth initiatives and the recently negotiated USMCA trade agreement, and it promotes the U.S.-
Mexico relationship at the committee level.
Again, as I mentioned just a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the inauguration of President Lopez Obrador in Mexico City with many of my colleagues. Our two countries have had a very proud history together, and I think these are times, trying times, as the chairman mentioned, but I think that is why this bill is so important. I think we can have a brighter future together between our two nations. I urge my colleagues to support it to strengthen this relationship.
In closing, I would like to once again thank Mr. Cuellar for leading this message. Growing up in Texas, I dealt with our Mexican counterpart, their largest trading partner, have done a lot with Mexico. When I was in the Attorney General's Office, I met with Mexico periodically, and also as a Member of Congress.
This is an important relationship between our countries. While there have been moments of disagreement, I think it is important that our countries remain allies and we are friends with our neighbors to the south.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I want to close by again emphasizing the importance of the U.S.-Mexico relationship.
Twenty years ago, it would have been hard to imagine coming to the House floor in support of a bipartisan bill on educational exchanges with Mexico. Now, a bill like this will glide through the House with little, if any, opposition, just as it did last year. But we cannot take cooperation for granted. We have to keep on working with Mexico to improve our relationship.
I thank my colleagues for supporting me and joining me in supporting this legislation to double down on the successes in the U.S.-Mexico partnership, and I urge its immediate passage.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 133, the
``United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act'' that promotes economic partnership and cooperation between the United States and Mexico.
The ``United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act'' strategy predominantly focuses on academic, business and medical exchanges.
The United States and Mexico have benefitted from a bilateral, mutually beneficial partnership focused on advancing the economic interests of both countries.
In March 2011, the United States launched the ``100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative'', which increased educational exchanges between the United States and other countries in the Western Hemisphere region.
The 100,000 United States students are studying in other countries in the Western Hemisphere region and 100,000 non-United States students from the region are studying in the United States per year by 2020.
The ``United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act'' would expand the educational and professional exchange programs with Mexico, including through the framework of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative.
In the 18th Congressional District of Texas, the Houston Independent School District is educating nearly 3,500 immigrant students in their first year in American school systems.
The state's largest district of Texas has more than 11,000 immigrant students who have been in America for three years or less.
Rene Sanchez, the principal of Cesar E. Chavez High School located in the 18th district and the son of Mexican immigrants made statements to incoming high schoolers.
``Many of you were not in Houston last year, were not in the United States, yet we're holding you to the same standards as students . . . living in the United States all their lives,'' said Rene Sanchez.
High school students like Sophia Martinez, an 18-year-old senior from Mexico have been in Houston for nearly two years and speak near-
fluently but stumble over the essay section.
For these students and reasons, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 133.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 133.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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