Representative Adriano Espaillat Hosts Roundtable Aimed at Strengthening Dominican-U.S. Relations

 Roundtable Features the Honorable President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, and Dominican U.S. Elected Dignitaries

NEW YORK, NY – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) hosted a roundtable with leaders and elected officials of the Dominican diaspora to assess the fundamental guidelines of the Interdisciplinary Commissions of Dominican professionals, elected and public servants, business and industry leaders that resulted from the “First Agenda/Proposal of the Dominican Diaspora of the United States and the Dominican Government,” that were presented to the Honorable President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, in 2021. 

The purpose of the roundtable is to measure accomplishments of the earlier proposal, to date. Rep. Espaillat convened more than 30 Dominican American elected officials from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island as well as leaders from the Dominican Diaspora to discuss ongoing efforts to address four main areas of impact: productivity, governance, education, and health. 

“I am honored to welcome Dominicans from the region and various parts of the nation to New York this weekend to celebrate our heritage and achievements,” said Espaillat. “During our recognitions amid festivities this weekend, we also turn our attention to the foremost issues and topics facing families throughout our community and work in collaboration with some of the highest-ranking industry leaders and officials to find solutions and share best practices. 

“We are honored to welcome President Luis Abinader to this year’s annual Dominican heritage event, and I implore each of our roundtable participants to act jointly and expediently to address ways we can make a difference in our community to support our continued growth, development, and future,” Espaillat concluded. 

“I am delighted to participate in this important roundtable discussion. This weekend’s events are a testament to the Dominican community’s strength and vibrance. I look forward to seeing more and more of our community represented at the federal, state and local levels in the near future,” said Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos. 

"Being a part of this dynamic Roundtable discussion with President Luis Abinader has reinforced the transformative power of Dominican Americans in elected offices. As Mayor, I'm committed to amplifying our community's voice and addressing the key priorities that resonate with the ever-growing number of Dominican Americans. Together, we're shaping a brighter future, where our shared values and diverse perspectives drive positive change for all," said Helmin J. Caba, Mayor of the City of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 

"It was a true honor to participate in this roundtable and strengthen the bonds between Dominicans in New York City and across the country. The work we all do to uplift our communities starts with discussions like these, where we foster new relationships and explore policy initiatives rooted in empathy, security, and opportunity," said Council Member Shaun Abreu. "It was beautiful to see Dominicans engaging in civic discourse and problem-solving together. This weekend made it clear: we Dominicans are as interconnected as ever." 

“After decades of impacting the American fabric, with its participation in public service, business and education, the Dominican community in the United States is circling back to its country of origin, looking to impact its social, economic and political development,” said Rodolfo R. Pou, State of Florida, Chairman, Diáspora & Development Foundation. 

During the roundtable, Rep. Espaillat highlighted his legislative accomplishments to help further strengthen U.S.—Dominican Republic relations that included the CBSI Authorization Act, which would authorize robust CBSI funding for the next five fiscal years and “La Comisión de las Ocupaciones Norteamericanas Act,” to require the U.S. to establish a commission to address the United States’ two prior occupations of the Dominican Republic. 

Additionally, Rep. Espaillat and participants reiterated policy goals that were presented during the annual “Dominicans on the Hill,” day at the United States Capitol, that encouraged bilingual guidance, training, and services to support minority owned businesses; develop programs to recruit underrepresented students, including multilingual students, to career and technical education (CTE) programs and work-based learning (WBL) experiences to help them achieve; establish a community health and wellness taskforce to assess the health care of the Dominican community; and, create pathways for prompt certification and accreditation of Dominican health professionals to allow them to practice in the United States. 

Click here for photos and full list of participants who joined today’s roundtable discussion.

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fourth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 118th Congress. He is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Rep. Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at [email protected]