Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the United States has longstanding and enduring cultural, historic, economic, strategic, and people-to-people connections with the Pacific Islands, based on shared values, cultural histories, common interests, and a commitment to fostering mutual understanding and cooperation; (2) the economies of the Pacific Islands countries face significant challenges including geographic isolation, limited economic diversification, vulnerability to natural disasters, and underdeveloped infrastructure and trade capacity, that can make conventional economic indicators based on average national income poor measures of development progress and welfare outcomes; (3) strengthening U.S.-Pacific Islands economic ties through a preferential trade program would promote inclusive economic development, create sustainable job opportunities, and improve standards of living in the region; and (4) a U.S.-led preferential trade program would also make Americans safer, stronger, and more prosperous by advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, prioritizing sovereignty, economic independence, and the rule of law.