WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, held a roundtable with ambassadors and representatives from Africa this week. The countries represented included: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Malawi, Ghana, Senegal, Djibouti, Madagascar, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Uganda, Gabon, Togo, Mozambique, Mauritania, and Ethiopia, as well as a Representative from the African Union.
Following the meeting, Sen. Cruz said, “I intend to use my chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy to ensure that America’s policy towards Africa is focused on advancing American national security interests across the continent, with an emphasis on countering China’s efforts to undermine those interests and conduct malign activities. The subcommittee will hold regular and multiple hearings on these and other issues.
“Right now, the Chinese Communist Party is pouring billions into its Belt and Road Initiative across Africa. These projects serve as a tool for the CCP to lock in crushing debt and undermine the sovereignty of countries across the continent.
“In this meeting, I also emphasized that national security is inextricably linked to energy, and the issue was raised by at least half of the ambassadors in the room. Economic prosperity hinges on access to reliable energy and critical resources. The United States has a unique opportunity to expand economic ties by fostering partnerships in energy, as well as in critical mineral and other resources, which will bring greater prosperity and a brighter future for Africans while strengthening America’s strategic position in the region.”
BACKGROUND
The Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with countries in Africa (except those, like the countries of North Africa, specifically covered by other subcommittees), as well as regional intergovernmental organizations like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for health-related policy, including disease outbreak and response.
