Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Senator Hickenlooper Lead Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers in Securing Final Passage of Bill to Institutionalize the Summit of the Americas

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers, led by Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO), celebrated the final passage of the Summit of the Americas Act as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation was co-led by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Reps. María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) and Joaquin Castro (TX-20).

This bill ensures continued U.S. participation in the Summit of the Americas, the primary convening mechanism for Western Hemisphere countries to promote regional partnership and prosperity every four years. This legislation also supports the inclusion of the Cities Summit of the Americas as part of the larger Summit of the Americas process to bolster city and state diplomacy across the region.

“U.S. engagement with our Latin American and Caribbean partners is fundamental to our nation's prosperity and security. Every four years, the Summit of the Americas presents an unparalleled opportunity to strengthen economic ties and deepen collaboration with our closest neighbors,” said Rep. Kamlager-Dove. “I am proud to have led the effort to ensure that U.S. participation in the Summit remains a cornerstone of our relationship with the region. As a former state legislator, I look forward to seeing how the ongoing Cities Summit will help us address the root causes of some of our most challenging issues at the local level.”

“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 Dr. Cassidy. “The Senate reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening ties and promoting economic growth across the Western Hemisphere.”

“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 Senator 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.”

“I am happy to see the Summit of the Americas Act I championed with Rep. Kamlager-Dove is part of the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act,” said Rep. Salazar. “I am looking forward to the Summit of the Americas in the Dominican Republic next year under renewed American leadership.”

“The Summit of the Americas is an indispensable forum for the United States and our neighbors to come together and commit to multilateral, sustained progress for our region. I had the privilege to attend the Summit in 2022 and 2015, and I was deeply impressed by the opportunities it provides to strengthen international relationships and collaborate on the most pressing issues in the Western Hemisphere. The inclusion of this bill in the National Defense Authorization Act is a powerful sign of Congress’s bipartisan commitment to international engagement, and I thank Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove for her leadership to codify U.S. support for the Summit of the Americas” said Congressman Castro, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

The Summit of the Americas, first convened by President Bill Clinton in 1994, has long served to promote economic growth and prosperity throughout the Americas. The Summit brings together partners with shared democratic values across the Americas to problem-solve global issues like climate change and immigration, simultaneously serving as a forum for countries to elevate local policy issues that might otherwise go overlooked. The U.S. hosted the ninth Summit in Los Angeles in 2022 and Denver hosted the first-ever Cities Summit of the Americas in 2023, which hosts city, state, and municipal leaders from throughout the Western Hemisphere to build new economic opportunities.

The Summit of the Americas Act is the second bill that Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove passed into law in her first term in Congress. Her first bill, the GRATEFUL Act, was included in the FY24 NDAA that was signed into law by President Biden on December 22, 2023.

Full text of the Summit of the Americas Act can be found here.

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