Overview

Title

An Act To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy on efforts to strengthen subnational cooperation between the United States and Mexico, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

H. R. 2789 is a plan that asks a special helper, the Secretary of State, to make friends and work better with people in Mexico, especially to stop bad stuff like drugs from crossing the border. It also wants to check how people in certain Caribbean countries can use banks more easily.

Summary AI

H. R. 2789, also called the "American Cooperation with Our Neighbors Act," instructs the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to enhance cooperation between different regions of the United States and Mexico. The main goals are to improve law enforcement collaboration to combat fentanyl trafficking, foster dialogue among government and community leaders, and support border towns. Additionally, the bill requires a review of financial access in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states. The State Department is tasked to assess how to expand financial access, considering legal and economic factors, and report their findings to Congress.

Published

2024-07-08
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Referred in Senate
Date: 2024-07-08
Package ID: BILLS-118hr2789rfs

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
3
Words:
870
Pages:
6
Sentences:
10

Language

Nouns: 289
Verbs: 52
Adjectives: 42
Adverbs: 5
Numbers: 21
Entities: 61

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.67
Average Sentence Length:
87.00
Token Entropy:
4.80
Readability (ARI):
47.62

AnalysisAI

General Summary of the Bill

The bill, titled the “American Cooperation with Our Neighbors Act,” aims to foster stronger collaboration between the United States and Mexico, particularly at local and state levels. This cooperation primarily focuses on law enforcement efforts to address drug trafficking, especially concerning synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The bill mandates the Secretary of State, along with the USAID Administrator, to devise and submit a strategy to Congress addressing these issues within 270 days of the bill’s enactment. It also requires a subsequent update of the strategy within two years. Furthermore, the bill instructs a review of financial access improvements for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states.

Summary of Significant Issues

Several critical issues have been identified in the bill. First, the 270-day timeline for submitting the cooperation strategy may be insufficient given the complex nature of subnational collaboration and drug trafficking challenges. Additionally, terms like "subnational cooperation" in the bill lack precise definitions, which could lead to implementation ambiguities.

Moreover, the limitation on data sharing presents a hurdle, as it requires notification to multiple congressional committees, potentially slowing down effective international cooperation. The bill’s focus on border towns when discussing resource allocation could neglect regions elsewhere affected by opioid trafficking, leading to uneven distribution of resources.

Regarding the section on financial access for CARICOM, the absence of specified timelines for review and reporting might lead to delays in addressing these financial matters. Also, the lack of clear metrics for expanding financial access and the ambiguous discourse on embassy expansions raise concerns about potential misallocation of resources and efforts.

Impact on the Public

For the general public, the bill’s initiatives could enhance security and counter drug trafficking effectively, leading to safer communities. By fostering closer cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico, as well as improving financial access in the Caribbean, it may indirectly support socio-economic stability in these regions. However, the potential delays in implementation and execution due to the outlined issues might adversely affect timely benefits.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

Local Communities and Law Enforcement Agencies: The focus on enhancing law enforcement collaboration at the local level could provide valuable resources and training to subnational entities. This would likely strengthen their capacity to address and manage issues related to drug trafficking. However, the ambiguity and potential delays in strategy implementation may hamper immediate benefits.

Border Towns: While these areas stand to gain directly from targeted resource allocation and improved cooperation, other regions that may also be impacted could feel overlooked if the allocation appears uneven.

CARICOM Member States: These nations could benefit from improved financial access and support, possibly fostering economic growth and stability. Yet, without a clear timeline and benchmarks, these improvements may take longer to materialize, dampening the potential impact.

Government Agencies: Agencies responsible for implementing the strategies outlined in the bill could face challenges due to the broad scope of the terms and undefined guidelines. This might lead to inefficiencies and increased bureaucratic processes, affecting timely execution and measurable outcomes.

In conclusion, while the bill proposes commendable initiatives for strengthening U.S.-Mexico relations and supporting CARICOM nations, addressing these significant issues could be crucial to maximizing its effectiveness and ensuring fair and timely benefits to all stakeholders involved.

Issues

  • The timeline of 270 days in Section 2 for submitting the strategy may be too short for such a comprehensive plan, risking a rushed or incomplete proposal, given the complex nature of subnational cooperation and fentanyl trafficking issues.

  • The term 'subnational cooperation' in Section 2 is overly broad and undefined, which could lead to ambiguity in implementation and enforcement, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the strategy.

  • The limitation on data sharing in Section 2(d), requiring notification to numerous congressional committees, could hinder timely and necessary international cooperation efforts, delaying critical collaboration against drug trafficking.

  • Section 2(a)(3)'s focus on border towns might neglect other regions also impacted by synthetic opioid trafficking, potentially causing uneven resource allocation and oversight of certain affected communities.

  • The absence of a specific timeline for the review and report in Section 3 could lead to indefinite delays in addressing financial access issues within CARICOM member states, which might impact economic development and policy-making.

  • Section 3 does not specify metrics or benchmarks for evaluating the successful expansion of financial access, leaving room for arbitrary assessment and ineffective strategic implementation in supporting CARICOM states.

  • Section 3’s discussion of possible expansion of embassies and consulates lacks detail about the associated financial and operational costs, which poses risks of wasteful spending or inadequate planning.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of this bill provides its short title, allowing it to be referred to as the "American Cooperation with Our Neighbors Act".

2. Subnational Cooperation Strategy Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section outlines a plan for the U.S. to work with Mexico on local and state levels, aiming to increase cooperation in law enforcement and community engagement to tackle issues like drug trafficking. It requires the Secretary of State to submit this plan to Congress within 270 days, update it after two years, and limits sharing of certain data until Congress is notified.

3. Department of State review of access to finance in CARICOM member states Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The Secretary of State, together with the Secretary of Treasury, will review ways to improve financial access for Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states, including examining laws, reporting standards, and regional resources like embassies. A report of the findings will be sent to specific committees in Congress that oversee foreign affairs and financial services.